The 2025 Audi RS E-Tron GT Performance Will Change the Way You Think About the Marque

Yahoo

02-04-2025

Unless you're a rally racing fan, the Audi name isn't one that necessarily sets your heart racing. The German marque has built some great sports cars over the years—the R8 and TT immediately leap to mind—but it's still more associated with tasteful luxury than visceral thrills. The 2025 RS E-Tron GT Performance is the kind of car that can change that.
Introduced in 2021, three years after it was first teased as a concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the E-Tron GT is unlike anything the brand has ever built. Like the Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan, the latter of which it shares a platform with, the EV is an all-electric super sedan. It pairs aggressive styling with a potent dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain that allows it to post the kind of numbers that were out of reach of cars that have worn the four rings in the past.
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The E-Tron GT is Audi's electric performance flagship but has spent most of its time on the market overshadowed by its relative, the Taycan. But now, thanks to a revised design and updated powertrain, it's ready to spend some well-earned time in the spotlight. Here's what we thought after spending time behind the wheel of the car in Vegas last week.
As it enters its fourth year, Audi has narrowed the E-Tron GT range from three cars to two. The S is now the entry-level model, while the RS E-Tron Performance, which is our focus, is the range-topper. The EV's design has received subtle updates, both inside and out. The bigger changes are those you can't see. The E-Tron's powertrain has been updated with new electric motors that provide a significant power bump. A new battery is also present, which is larger but lighter than its predecessor. It's likely due to the last two upgrades, that the starting price of the sedan has risen by nearly $20,000 to $168,295 (including destination and delivery fees).
The athletic E-Tron GT has been the better-looking sedan you could buy since making its debut, so Audi has chosen, wisely, to leave well enough alone for 2025. The rakish four-door still sports the most sculpted shape in the brand's lineup and a sloping roofline that almost gives it the look of a shooting brake. The front fascia has also been revised, with a new faux grille design, a 2-D version of the marque's four-ring logo, and even more prominent side air ducts. Those tweaks, along with a larger rear diffusor and vertical reflector, help differentiate the RS E-Tron GT from the S. Also newly available are new color options, including the sparkling Bedford Green, more 20- and 21-inch wheel styles, and forged carbon trim.
The interior has been treated with a similarly soft hand. The layout is much the same, but there's a new squared-off steering wheel with satellite buttons that make it easier to trigger the Push-to-Pass boost and cycle through the different driving modes, standard Nappa Leather seats, and an optional giant gorged carbon inlay. The front is still equipped with two displays, but they don't take up nearly as much real estate as those found in the E-Tron GT's peers, though it should be noted that Audi's MMI infotainment system is starting to feel a bit dated. An array of physical buttons on the center console help make up for this, though.
The big story here is the RS E-Tron GT Performance's new powertrain. The EV still has a dual-motor setup—one in the front, one in the back—but the individual units are new for 2025. The pair, which are lighter than those they are replacing, combine to produce a ferocious 912 hp (94 of which is accessible via the 10-second Push-to-Pass boost) and 757 ft lbs of torque that is split between all four wheels in classic Quattro fashion. That's an increase of 275 horses, making the model the most powerful Audi in history. It's also its fastest accelerating, able to go from zero to 60 mph in just 2.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 mph.
The battery has also been updated for the new model year. The new pack has a capacity of 105 kWh, which is 12 percent more than before. You'd think this would add to the vehicle's weight, but Audi says the new power unit weighs 25 pounds less. The battery isn't just lighter, though. It also can charge at up to 320 kW, which is 50 kW more than before, and holds that input for longer, allowing the battery to be charged from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes. Audi says you'll be able to drive the car for 278 miles between charges, which is an improvement of 29 miles.
All that may look enticing on paper, but what really matters is how the car drives. And in its current guise, the RS E-Tron GT Performance delivers. On the highways east of Sin City, I could feel the car's power as soon as my foot to the accelerator, even without the tactile feedback that comes from an ICE vehicle. It's not the quickest (the Air Sapphire) or fastest (Taycan Turbo GT) EV in its class, but the sedan still moves like a rocket, especially when I used Push-to-Pass to overtake the vehicle in front of me, but there's enough weight that you still feel in control, unlike the video game-like acceleration of some EVs. You'll still want to pay careful attention to the speedometer, though, as it's easy to travel much faster than you thought.
As fun as the car is on the open road, you'll find yourself hoping for a curve or two up ahead. The available active suspension and a more direct front axle steering ratio made tackling southern Nevada's winding mountain roads a breeze. This is especially true when RS performance mode is engaged. The mode, which is exclusive to the model, makes a slalom as easy (and comfortable) to navigate as a straight away.
The R E-Tron GT Performance is about as thrilling of a daily driver as you could ask for, but to really appreciate what it can do, you'll want to spend some time on the track with it. Using the EV's launch control is something else. The punch you feel in your stomach the first time you hit 60 mph in under three seconds is a little terrifying, but by the third time I was laughing. What more could you want from a sedan?
The new RS E-Tron GT Performance is the kind of car you should be excited about driving. The car delivers everything Audi—a smooth drive, a tastefully appointed interior, and an overall solid feel—and adds bold style and ridiculous acceleration to the mix. It's the kind of car that people will stretch their necks to see, before you zoom off into the distance.
With a starting price of $168,295, the updated RS E-Tron GT Performance is by far the most expensive model in the brand's current lineup. There's a good reason for that, though. And, when you consider how much more comparable versions of the Air and Taycan cost, it might even be the best value in the super sedan class.
Electric Sedan
2020
Two permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors
Combined Output: 912 hp and 757 ft lbs of torque
Liquid-cooled lithium ion, 105 kWh capacity
Range: 278 miles
DC fast charging: Up to 320 kW
10- to 80-percent charge time: 18 minutes
Zero to 60 mph: 2.4 seconds
Top Speed: 155 mph
$190,190
Click for more photos of the 2025 Audi RS E-Tron GT Performance.
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