Audi RS e-tron GT – Design
The e-tron GT is an emotive four-door coupé and the new signature car from the Audi brand. The electric figurehead features expressive design language that emphasizes the Audi standard of being an innovative automotive design brand that stands for sportiness and progressiveness.
The Audi e-tron GT is proof: The packaging of an electric car with its large battery and the fascinating design of a gran turismo with a flat silhouette and powerful proportions need not be mutually exclusive. This is made possible by a recess in the battery pack. The passengers in the rear can put their feet in what is known as the foot garage, which allows them to sit in a lower position and enjoy generous headroom despite the flat roof line. In combination with the wheel arches with up to 21-inch rims and the 2.90-meter (9.5 ft) wheelbase, this solution creates ideal proportions and gives the high-performance GT an extraordinary presence on the road.
With its inverted color scheme, the Singleframe with the Audi rings on the expressively designed front of the e-tron GT (combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km (62.1 mi)*: 19.6– 18.8 (NEDC), combined CO2 emissions in g/km (g/mi)*: 0) is a clear indicator for the electric drive. The radiator grille, which reinterprets the classic honeycomb pattern, is painted in light Heckla gray or in body color for the first time at Audi, and the grille and lateral air inlets are framed by a mask in dark Manhattan gray. While the main purpose of the Singleframe on models with a combustion engine is to cool the engine, it conceals the majority of the sensors in the e-tron GT. Only the lower of the six corners have open sections for air supply.
The technology packaging of the electric drive allows for a flat front end, thereby providing the driver with a fascinating view over the front end and directly onto the road. This view is focused due to the fact that the hood is framed by strongly curved fenders on both sides. This unusual perspective and the dynamism of the drive create a driving experience that shapes the character of the electric gran turismo to a great extent.
Side view: a flow of lines The flow of the design is very obvious in the side view in particular. The elongated hood and flat windshield transition into a quickly sloping roof line. The greenhouse thus extends tautly over the powerful body. It is drawn in sharply toward the rear – the gently inclined C-pillars in the rear area flow elegantly into the muscular shoulders of the body.
Sharp edges extend across the large wheel arches – these quattro blisters with the pronounced sculptured wheel arches symbolize the electric all-wheel drive. They are a stylistic feature of many Audi models, but nowhere else are they as strongly pronounced as here. The quattro drive is further emphasized by the combination of a low center of gravity in the main body section and the pronounced tapering at the car’s midsection. The lean, elongated “Sportback” cabin is positioned on the body: With its flat roof line, which is another 17 millimeters (0.7 in) lower than on an A7 Sportback, it emphasizes the sporty body line of the e-tron GT.
The lights at the rear are connected by a flat light strip. A visually offset diffuser gives the e-tron GT an unmistakable look within the Audi product portfolio. The spoiler with the integrated spoiler lip runs parallel to the light strip and rounds out the sporty look. 19- to 21-inch rims highlight the powerful design and already hint at the sporty capabilities of the e-tron GT (combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km (62.1 mi)*: 19.6–18.8 (NEDC), combined CO2 emissions in g/km (g/mi)*: 0) while the vehicle is stationary. The color palette comprises nine colors, including the new color tactical green. Audi can provide two variants of the black styling package upon request. The first variant comprises the Singleframe, its mask, the area of the sills and door inserts, and the diffuser. The black styling package plus comes with the rings and badges in black gloss in addition. The three different carbon packages are even more exclusive. Audi can also provide the housings of the exterior mirrors and the entire roof in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) upon request. As standard, the roof is made of heat-insulating glass.
* Information on electric power consumption and CO2 emission figures given in ranges depend on the equipment selected for the vehicle.
02/2021