Audi RS e-tron GT Performance

Audi RS e-tron GT Performance | Test Drive

21 July 2025 Redazione News, Tested

With the R8 and TT now out of the game, Audi’s ultimate expression of performance lies in the hands of the RS e-tron GT. The Performance version boasts a staggering 925 horsepower, but they’re all electric. Will it be enough to make us forget their mighty coupes?

Words Matteo Lavazza / Photos Federico Bard

You’ve finally saved up enough coins that your porcelain piggy bank is about to explode. The fateful day has arrived: you’re ready to buy your new car — the sports car of your dreams — and you can already picture yourself behind the wheel of the Audi R8 you’ve always imagined parked in your garage. Between the old you and a Tony Stark wannabe stand only the kilometers separating your home from the dealership. But then you suddenly wake up and as you blink your eyes open, you realize it’s not a nightmare. No R8, at least not a new one and not even its little sister, the TT-RS. Both are gone, already buried. You struggle to believe the words trying in every way to convince you that “the market demands it.” You don’t care, you need power, you need thrills.

According to Audi, the solution is called e-tron GT, or more precisely RS e-tron GT Performance. It’s the most powerful road car ever made by the four rings brand. A statement that should, in theory, make you instantly forget the R8. But there are plenty of differences between the two, enough that comparing them doesn’t make sense. And then there’s the fact it’s a fully electric sedan. Could it ever be the sports car you’ve been searching for or at least something capable of replacing a pure performance model in Audi’s lineup?

Seeing 925 horsepower written down certainly grabs your attention. It sparks curiosity and momentarily makes you forget your ideas about the body style and drivetrain. And despite the subjectivity of aesthetics, the RS e-tron GT doesn’t pass unnoticed. It’s low, incredibly wide, long yet sleek, with gargantuan 21-inch wheels filling wheel arches that drop so low they appear glued to the tires. One glance tells you this is no ordinary sedan and as numbers like RS6 and RS7 start echoing in your head, you’re pulled in by a vortex of human curiosity. You walk closer, running your fingers along the flared arches that widen the fenders far beyond what you’d expect on a sedan, a segment increasingly ignored in favor of SUVs and crossovers.

You’re struck. The RS treatment has done its job and you haven’t even started it yet – ehm, turned it on. You give your head a quick scratch and open the door, settling into an interior that’s unmistakably Audi, where everything is precisely where it should be, not a millimeter off. The attention to details is excellent and aside from the lack of a dedicated smartphone storage spot, you’ll notice the crucial controls like those for the climate system, are still physical, which matters more than many realize once you’re on the move. There’s Alcantara, leather and forged carbon fiber, not just echoing exterior details like the rear diffuser, mirror caps and front bumper inserts, but enhancing the prestige of a car built not to compete, but to create a new frontier in high-performance sedans.

The new steering wheel, with clear retro inspiration, is fantastic. Grip is average, I might’ve liked a bit more padding, but it fits perfectly into this futuristic context, integrating certain functions and two unmissable buttons. On the left, there’s the Boost – 10 seconds of an extra 95 horsepower for peak performance – and on the right, the RS button, which activates two configurable RS driving modes. Because you never know you might need to overtake and access all the 925 horses. You don’t want to waste time fiddling with the center console. Flick the lever into Drive and no, I’m not going to bore you with how comfy it is for long trips. You can guess that yourself. And it’s easy to imagine that its generous dimensions require extra caution in traffic, where you won’t just stand out, you’ll occupy a significant chunk of public road.

The RS e-tron GT Performance – let’s just call it RS, RS GT, or even just GT for brevity – is the most powerful street legal Audi ever. Within its 5-meter length lies a technological arsenal worthy of NASA: a 105 kWh battery, two electric motors, air suspension with individually adjustable ride height for each wheel, carbon-ceramic ventilated and drilled brakes (365 mm at the rear, 410 mm at the front) and 1,027 Nm of torque ready to bite any supercar the moment you floor it. In that instant, you experience a kind of speed the human body isn’t built to handle, a sensation your brain takes far longer to process than your reflexes need to grip the wheel and aim the car into a corner as if being launched off a cliff in a vertical drop.

A high-pitched whine, probably your eardrums reacting to the violent shift in space and in just 2.5 seconds, you’re past 100 kph. Before you even notice, the speedo reads 140, 165, 200, all within 7.8 seconds. It just keeps pulling, devouring electrons like there’s no tomorrow, revealing yet another insane trait: rear-wheel steering combined with active suspension lets it slice through corners, mitigating what would normally be disadvantages due to weight and size. This isn’t just steering: it’s shortening the wheelbase, showing agility unimaginable in a vehicle nearing 2.5 tons. Ease off and regenerative braking nearly (but not quite) lets you drive with one pedal. But slam the throttle again and you’re pinned to those fantastic RS seats sculpted and sporty enough for performance, yet comfortable for daily use when you’re not in the mood to rattle the planet with Launch Control.

There are no gears, of course, so you get the typical smooth, endless thrust of a high-testosterone EV. Press and go. Fast. Incredibly fast. So fast that you’d never have dared in an R8. Sure, it lacks the soundtrack and in some curves you’ll need to ease off more than you would in a mid-engine two-seater. But over long distances, I’m convinced that the Tony Stark inside you would be a tiny speck in the rearview mirror. There are two elephants in the room and imagine the room as a fine crystal shop. Now toss in a peanut-flavored bomb and see how those elephants react. Their names? Range and price, not necessarily in that order. Let’s get them out of the way before going back to fun stuff, like that grin you can’t suppress when you realize grip here is seemingly endless, even on imperfect surfaces.

The RS e-tron GT Performance is expensive starting at over €175,000, that’s €16,000 more than the already powerful RS. Add a few premium options and topping €200,000 becomes easier than stealing candy from a baby. As for range, it’s the natural consequence of this power-to-weight ratio. It’ll be nearly impossible not to floor it at least once a day, bad news for remaining electrons. I’d love to share Audi’s optimistic claim of 585 km range, but with a 100% charge I’ve never gone beyond 350 km. The upside? You can recharge from 20 to 80% in no time, since the RS accepts up to 270 kW from DC fast chargers. A blow to your wallet at month’s end, unless you’ve got a great recharge plan.

With that out of the way, I can get back inside and enjoy the GT for what it’s made: get you from A to B in total comfort and minimal time. But this isn’t just a cruiser, it’s a true grand tourer. The performance specs prove it, but more so their real-world application, where you reap all the benefits of Audi’s legacy. Quattro all-wheel drive handles this immense power with magical precision, converting it into raw speed, top-tier acceleration and confidence. Staying within the absurd realm of 1,000-horsepower cars (it feels crazy even to type that), I must say the Model S Plaid never gave me the same road-connected feel. In a similar scenario, the RS Performance remains responsive even under pressure, with surprisingly precise – though never twitchy – steering feedback.

The thrill lasts for weeks and countless charging stops. And every time I stomp the right pedal, I still feel that same overwhelming sense of power. The human body isn’t built for this kind of violence. As bold as you are, you can’t help but wonder — does anyone really need this much power? Is it a technical exercise, a display of innovation, or simply the need to keep up with others blazing the EV trail? Maybe all of the above. And then, between all these thoughts, something hits you. You wanted an R8, but you can’t buy a new one anymore.

The RS e-tron GT Performance isn’t an alternative, let’s not kid ourselves. It’s insanely fast, so much so that it really does make you forget the R8. What’s wild is that it even performs through corners, which is even more absurd. Yes, it gets your heart racing, thanks to mind-blowing performance. But something is still missing, something that, for some enthusiasts, outweighs raw power or cutting-edge tech. You don’t get the drama of an engine revving, gear changes, or the mechanical soul of an internal combustion engine burning good old petrol. It’s a mental thing, a chemical thing, almost philosophical. But then again, cars are about emotion, passion and love. The RS e-tron GT Performance is the most powerful Audi ever built and without question the best currently in the lineup for one very specific reason: there’s no longer an R8 to challenge it for the throne. These are gut decisions. Whatever you choose, you’ll be fast. So where do you stand? Do you still need that R8… or not?