I am not one you’ll find to be at a loss for words, especially when it comes to car reviews, but this week’s review is a mind-numbing sports car that has left me speechless more than once. The acceleration is insane. I just don’t have the words to describe the feeling of launching this beast from a dead stop or hitting the boost button when you already going over 100-miles per hour. I have been privileged to have some crazy fast cars, but nothing like this one, and oh by the way, it is all-electric, and it is the fastest Audi ever made.
If you are not aware, this is the sister vehicle to the Porsche Taycan, a great car in its own right. I had a Taycan personally for a while, and I enjoyed it, although it didn’t have nearly these many horses. Personally, I like the exterior looks of this Audi the most.
There were a few tweaks for 2025, including a heavily-vented front fascia, more wheel choices, a couple of new colors, more power even with a lighter battery weight, and faster charging times.
Exterior
This Audi has caught people’s attention everywhere I’ve been with beautiful 21” wheels, a deployable rear spoiler, a carbon fiber roof, and beautiful body lines.
It sits low and has a very wide stance. LED lights are all around and it gives you a little light show when you approach the car. I also think the Progressive Red paint color fits this car perfectly.
The very sloping roof line makes it look super-fast, even when it is in park.
Performance
This sport sedan is powered by a huge 105-kilowatt hour battery with electric motors in the front and rear, essentially making it all-wheel drive. This gives the e-tron GT the equivalent of 912-horses and it will propel you from 0-to-60 in a mere 2.4 seconds according to Audi, but if you can get a solid grip on dry pavement, it will launch you to 60 in 2.1 seconds, trust me on this. Read: One Mississippi, two Mississippi and you are doing 60.
The RS e-tron GT Performance features a unique drive train and transmission configuration: The front axle is equipped with a single-speed direct drive, and the rear axle incorporates a 2-speed automatic transmission. This 2-speed transmission offers several advantages including enhanced acceleration. The first gear provides maximum torque for rapid starts and quick acceleration. You get improved efficiency: because the second gear allows for more efficient high-speed cruising, optimizing energy consumption. And finally, you get a true dynamic driving experience as the RS seamlessly transitions between gears that ensures consistent power delivery and performance. Additionally, the transmission system is integrated into the vehicle's thermal management circuit, aiding in cooling both the electric motor and the transmission unit. All-in-all, very impressive.
Interior
As you open the door, it’s all Audi with all the luxury you’d expect. Thanks to the hydraulics that are part of the suspension system, when you open any door, the entire car jumps up 3-inches, making it easier to enter and exit. This is a nice touch, the RS sits quite low to the ground, even with the 21” wheels.
The front Fine Nappa leather & Dinamica seats are heated and cooled, and they will massage you. The seats are heavily-bolstered and can be adjusted for snugness and are quite comfortable. There are also manual thigh supports you can slide out if needed.
The gauge cluster is colorful and has a multitude of different configurations depending on what you want to see, including a 3D navigation screen. Your battery range in miles is always visible and there is a head-up display with sign recognition.
High on the center dash is a 10.1” touchscreen that operates the Audi multi-media interface and controls the Bang & Olefson sound system, the radio (but no AM radio), your phone, navigation system, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto (both wireless) your vehicle settings, and more. Under the screen are your air conditioning and seat climate controls.
Keep going down and you’ll find the drive modes, parking assist and parking sensors, and a button to turn off traction control. Drive modes include efficiency, comfort, and dynamic. Dynamic is awesome but will drain that battery range much quicker.
The RS button on the steering wheel serves as a quick-access toggle for RS-specific driving modes. You can choose RS1, RS2, or RS Performance. You can adjust throttle response, suspension stiffness, steering weight, and sound profile (through Audi’s electronic sound generator).
When activated, the Audi Virtual Cockpit display changes its layout to a performance-focused theme, showing things like lap timers, G-force meters, and power output gauges. Essentially, it's your one-touch gateway to full beast mode.
The other red button on the steering wheel is the boost button that activates a temporary power surge, delivering an extra 70 kW (94 hp) for up to 10 seconds. It’s designed for quick bursts of acceleration, like passing, and you get a 10 second countdown on the gauge cluster.
The center console houses a couple of cup holders, a round dial to adjust radio volume-which I find a little annoying-I just use the steering wheel volume control but would prefer a good old-fashioned round volume knob, but I digress. This is also where the gear selector sits: Push forward for reverse, and back for drive. When you get where you are going, just hit the start button or open the driver’s door, it will automatically go to park.
Technically, this is a 5-passenger sedan and while back seat room is not great nor is the headroom. I would not want to get stuck in the middle seat, it looks uncomfortable, and there is a pretty tall hump in back due to the big battery. There are back seat temperature controls, large air vents, the back seats are heated, and there are two somewhat hidden charging ports on the front side of the rear seat.
Trunk space is pretty good and the back seat does fold down for more space, and there is some storage under the load floor for valuables. Also, don’t forget the frunk, the front trunk, the space in front where an engine normally sits. It will fit a pretty large overnight piece of luggage. This car would have plenty of luggage room for a road trip.
Standard Features
The RS e-Tron GT Performance comes with loads of standard features, such as navigation system, the B & O sound system, carbon fiber roof, leather seating, power front seats with memory, power tilt steering wheel, heated flat bottom & flat topped steering wheel, tri-zone air conditioning with comfort pre-conditioning, and adaptive cruise control. The carbon fiber roof knocks out any kind of moon roof.
Safety
This car comes standard with Audi pre-sense 360, Audi pre-sense rear, Audi side assist (blind-spot) , Audi active lane assist, adaptive cruise assist with lane guidance, front pedestrian detection and prevention, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree camera system, Audi park assist plus, multiple airbags, electronic stability control, and traction control.
Options
Options on my tester include the Red paint ($595), the Dynamic plus package which is a must and includes active dampers, ceramic brakes with Anthracite calipers, and high-performance summer tires for $11,000.
The RS design package is $1,900 and includes upgraded door panels, the steering wheel with center marker, and gray accents all through the interior. Red brake calipers run $500.
Finally, there is an $8,400 Forged Carbon Package. This is one I would nix, but that is just me. You get a lot of carbon fiber for that; the price is fine. It’s the design on the carbon fiber on this car.
It comes in just regular carbon fiber, which would be great. In this package is the 21” wheels, and all the carbon inside and outside. Again, the package is great, but this design looks too much like camouflage to me and I would want something richer and more luxurious.
The e-tron GT Performance drives like a fine-tuned sports car because it is. Acceleration is insane, it will literally throw you back in the seat. The steering is superb, it has a very connected feel about it, the adaptive dampers are spectacular, and you can configure the settings to the best mixture of comfort and power I’ve ever experienced. This hot-looking, crazy-fast sedan is a true marvel of engineering. It is amazing how quiet the car is inside, because the required outside EV warning is pretty loud.
The range on battery is 278-miles according to Audi, but as you can see from a picture I took, I charged it at home and it showed 301-miles of range.
The charging time is exceptional. With a DC fast charger, you can get a 20% to 80% charge in just 18 minutes. That would work for me. There are charging ports on both sides of the car, rare on electrics, but very handy. Just know that only the right port will handle the DC fast charger.
Level 2 time is from 0 to 100% charged in roughly 9 hours, which is great for overnight charging. With a 110 outlet, it’s days-don’t even try it.
In EPA ratings, this Audi is rated as the equivalent of 84 miles per gallon combined, 85 in town and 82 on the highway. The MSRP for this one is $190,690.
I like electric cars, I have one myself, but this one takes power to another level.