2025 has been the year of torque on these automotive pages of The London Economic. That’s not some weak pun about my waffling on about cars, but rather the dizzying numbers received. The subject of this review, the Audi RS e-tron GT performance, is the third car to come equipped with north of 1000Nm of torque this year. Alongside the BMW M5 (1000Nm on the nose) and the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore (1350Nm (I still struggle to comprehend that figure)), the mighty Audi packs 1027Nm of the stuff. For some sort of context, 1000Nm+ was until recently the output solely of hypercars. The Bugatti Veyron – the OG, hypercar’s hypercar – put out 1250Nm of torque. Now anything short of 1000Nm on the spec sheet is met with a shrug. Get that Lamborghini Revuelto and its 725Nm out of my sight, those are schoolboy numbers.
Of course, talk of torque is one thing, the real-world experience is quite another. The Audi RS e-tron GT performance, like the Maser, is fully electric. The Beemer is hybrid. What this means is more weight. All three, once driver and associated gubbins are loaded, come in above 2500Kg. Simply put, you need a planetary moving amount of torque to shift them.
Whilst the adoption of EVs has been slower than governments and manufacturers would like, what electrification has done is speed up the performance development of cars. McLaren’s Artura, Ferrari’s 296 and the Revuelto are all battery assisted. A door to a whole new level of power and performance has been opened. It’s just that manufacturers haven’t quite managed to walk through it just yet. Or have they?
The Maser impressed me profoundly. As such, I was itching to get behind the wheel of the Audi. 417.1 miles would answer more questions about the EV revolution.
Living with the Audi RS e-tron GT performance
First things first, could you actually live with one? The previous tranche of e-tron GTs were an impressive first foray into electrification for Audi, but ultimately lacked the star power of cars at six-figure-plus price points. Such is the lot of early adopters in most industries.
The good news is that there is a noticeable and welcome layer of refinement here. The ride quality was exceptional before, but the active suspension improves it further. It scans the road and when it picks up bumps and imperfections it leaves you entirely unperturbed by them. Even when it doesn’t, you’ll have few causes for complaint. Left in comfort mode, the Audi RS e-tron GT performance will lean into corners, reducing any in-cabin disturbances.
The Audi RS e-tron GT performance, then, is one of the best riding cars I’ve driven. Electrification supports this, adding a smoothness that ICE cars can’t quite match.
Behind the wheel, the comfort is further extended by air-conditioned massage seats. This was most welcome on the trip to Exeter and back which I undertook for a cricket tour. I’m not getting any younger and two games in two days is, sadly, beyond me. Having the lower back worked on so comprehensively on the return journey along the A303 was ideal.
The only thing that could cause any stress was range anxiety. Audi has improved things in this regard, with a useable capacity of 97kWh. The previous e-tron GT I reviewed had 83.7kWh of usable battery. This is a welcome bump.
Across my 417.1 miles I achieved 2.7 miles p/kWh, equating to 261.9 miles of real-world range. That did include some spirited driving. On the return from Exeter, 159.5 miles was ticked off at 3.1 miles p/kWh. Best to embrace the comfort to eke out the range.
What’s the Audi RS e-tron GT performance like to drive?
Of course, you’re not buying the RS model to eke out the miles. You’re buying it for the 1027Nm of torque and 912bhp. I should add, these figures are available in launch mode. When not in launch mode you’ll have to make do with a mere 831bhp. The difference, however, is noticeable. In launch, 0-60mph takes 2.4secs. In boost, it takes 2.9secs. Glacial.
Handily, there’s a big red BOOST button on the steering wheel. Spot an overtake, click it, and you get 10secs of max attack. The performance is ferocious and breathtaking. You just don’t expect that the car will respond the way it does. The hit is instant, the car squirms as it flirts with the limit of its traction and you are teleported up the road. No matter how many times I did it I found myself muttering expletives in awe of its capability. It’s just not a turn of pace you ever really grow accustomed to.
It’s not an EV that loses punch at higher speeds, either. It’ll go on to 155mph and from motorway speeds will do a similarly impressive job of making things in your mirrors instantly a lot smaller. It’s a violently fast car from any speed – a deeply impressive depth of performance.
Whilst it naturally excels on quicker roads, the Audi RS e-tron GT performance is no fish out of water on twisty B-roads. The active suspension again helps, offering different characteristics to match your intent across comfort and dynamic settings. The carbon ceramic brakes possess almighty stopping power, which is just as well. Whilst you’d need a track to prod the limits of this thing, they keep everything comfortably in check on the road.
Conclusion
This is a wonderful car, make no mistake about it. Refined, comfortable, violently quick. Its main issue is not confined to it, but rather to EVs in general. At £177,000, who’s this car for? An Audi S8, more spacious and comfortable still, can be had in range topping Vorsprung spec for £47,000 less. It was one of our cars of the year 2024.
The Audi RS e-tron GT performance in so many ways is a truly remarkable car and anyone would be fortunate to own one. The performance is soul meltingly impressive. Then it settles into a comfortable canter with the wonderful massage seats and well-appointed interior. The question, really, is who will be fortunate enough to own one?
People don’t buy cars in lump sum payments anymore, so it depends on the finance deal. Then, pertinently here, come BIK rates. In base specs, the BIK you’d pay on the e-tron would be c.£4,500 a year versus c.£45,000 for the S8. If you’re a company director with a company car budget that heads in this direction, the Audi RS e-tron GT performance should be yours. You’ll never miss another meeting.
I came to like the Audi RS e-tron GT performance a lot more than I thought I would. It feels a significant step on from the previous attempt, with more refinement, range and performance. It attracted lots of positive attention and its ability to zip onto motorways is almost unparalleled. My kids absolutely loved it and I enjoyed all the 417.1 miles I covered in it.
This is a deeply impressive car. The issue is that I loved the Audi S8 in all its understated, luxurious glory. For private buyers there’s only one sensible choice. For company car owners, this could well tempt you away from the ubiquitous Porsche Taycan.