FEW battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are as spicy as Audi's fully electric sports executive car.
In a review previously, 'Cars Bikes and Truck' mentioned that the fully electric e-tron GT quattro was sizzling hot.
It has the looks, drives great and doesn't alienate fans on both sides of the powertrain fence - be it internal combustion engine (ICE) or electric vehicle (EV).
But what if you're looking for something more out of the e-tron GT quattro? Perhaps deep down inside, you know the car has a lot more to offer.
Enter the RS e-tron GT. The juiced-up variant doesn't look all too different, rather it's closely similar to the e-tron GT quattro with the Dynamic Package.
Beneath the covers is where the action is: twin electric motors that deliver 598PS and 830Nm of torque as standard, with boost mode cranking it up to 646PS.
It can complete the century sprint in 3.6 seconds, or 3.3 seconds in boost mode, trumping the non-RS model's 4.5 seconds (4.1 seconds with boost mode).
For comparison, the e-tron GT quattro's combined powertrain delivers up to 476Ps and 630Nm of maximum torque (boost mode pushes it to 530Ps and 640Nm of torque) so that's a huge triple-digit top-up for both power and torque.
The trade-off for more power also results in a reportedly reduced range of 495 km (WLTP) compared to the e-tron GT quattro's 501km.
The 800-volt lithium-ion battery that's integrated into the flat underbody has a gross capacity of up to 93.4kWh with a maximum charging capacity of 270kWh. Audi has said the battery can charge from five per cent to 80 per cent in 22.5 minutes in ideal conditions.
Aesthetic design is bolstered by its 21-inch black five-twin-spoke concave module alloys, fine Nappa leather/Dinamica microfibre upholstery, matte Carbon Twill decorative inserts, illuminated glossy carbon scuff plates and black Dinamica microfibre headliner.
Other highlights include Matrix LED headlamps with Audi laser light, carbon roof, steel brakes with tungsten carbide coating, red brake callipers, 22kW on-board AC charger, glossy carbon appearance package, adaptive air suspension, all-wheel steering, quattro with controlled rear differential lock and a head-up display.
The safety features include eight airbags, Audi pre-sense front and rear, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter (with efficiency, swerve and turn assist), lane departure warning, and front and rear cross-traffic assist.
TRACK QUALITY
Tailored for the track, selected media members were given a chance to take the car out for a few laps at the Sepang International Circuit.
As someone who has driven the e-tron GT quattro, it didn't come as a surprise that the RS model came with a load of added power.
What caught this writer off guard was how much more of that performance upgrade really translated. The other was the level of control the car had at higher speeds.
This was most evident during the launch control sprint and acceleration around the track, especially during and coming out of the bends.
Also as someone who has experienced launch control with other models, it was very impressive with how stable the car felt during the launch acceleration.
Especially when compared to those said models, it is truly something to behold when Audi's quattro system, and the RS-standard quattro-controlled rear differential lock, go to work.
After wrapping up the drive and with the true value behind the RS locked into its performance, one could say the e-tron GT quattro and, by extension, its Dynamic Package would suffice under most circumstances.
However, you're going to miss out on an additional 122PS and 200Nm of torque, which is a lot of power by comparison. As mentioned, that's at least a one-second improvement to the century sprint.
This writer likes to consider the "RS" to be the initials for "rocket science" with the car, although it does outright means "racing sport" or "rennsport" in German.
The good news is that Audi Malaysia is currently having an offer for both models, with the RS variant getting a huge price cut.
Currently, the RS e-tron GT is priced at RM699,990 while the e-tron GT quattro with Dynamic Package comes in at RM599,990.
The prices include a complimentary Moon wallbox charger (22kW/11kW), RM1,000 JomCharge credits and 180kW DC fast charging at any Audi Centre.