Audi RS E-Tron GT Stuns at the 2020 Spa 24 Hours
Before Audi’s factory team hit the track in its R8 GT3, the new RS e-tron made a surprise appearance.
The racing world, just like the rest of the world, has seen more than it’s fair share of surprises in 2020. But while it’s tough to remember in this fetid, garbage fire, chemical burn of a year, it’s actually still possible for surprises to be positive. Now, I know that’s a radical statement, but as evidence, I present the recent appearance of the Audi RS e-tron GT at the Spa 24 Hours. A cameo wasn’t on the books, but a prototype model still hit the Belgian circuit before the green flag dropped on the grueling endurance race.
Photo evidence is both minimal, and — at least in one case — heavily stylized, thought it’s still pretty cool to the see the new green machine on the track. Given that we just got treated to a video showcasing the noises the electric super sedan will make, however, it would have been far more interesting to see a video. That way, we could have gotten a better idea about how it might sound in the wild. Because while the sonic reveal clip was cool, the real world isn’t a vacuum, and the environment will play a big part in how we perceive it.
As we know, the underpinnings of the new e-tron will come from corporate cousin Porsche’s Taycan. So we can expect the horsepower figures to be pretty close to Stuttgart’s, meaning any Audi variants will have between 522 and 750 ponies. The version that arrived at Spa was a hot rod RS version, which will likely come in toward the top of that range. But while the Audi will take advantage of the same two-speed transmission and 96-kilowatt-hour battery as the Porsche, the P-car will still be number one in terms of performance. Because automakers don’t generally like to kneecap their performance brands.
For what it’s worth, the two cars don’t share exterior bits aside from the windshield, and the lines of the Audi are certain to be more fetching than the Porsche. Because at least in my opinion? The e-tron GT concept looked spectacular, while the Taycan isn’t nearly as elegantly rendered. I actually spotted one on the street a few weeks back, and while it was striking, it doesn’t look like it’s going to age well. I mean, it’s brand new, and it’s already kind of hard-featured.
There’s no word on exactly when you can expect to see the new e-tron GT or RS e-tron GT at your local Audi dealer, but it’s a good bet the 2022 model will arrive sometime toward the middle of next year. Stay tuned.
Photos: Audi
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