MOTORS: Stunning new electric Audi e-tron GT relays internal combustion engine sounds to the car’s interior

The new Audi e-tron GT, an electric four-door coupé considered the Gran Turismo of the future, has now arrived in Ireland.

While an even more powerful RS e-tron will soon follow in the GT’s tyre tracks, I was pretty excited to be invited to drive this powerful, fast, dynamic zero emissions GT model.

Sitting into the supportive driving seat (so comfortable a resting place I’d break stones with my elbow for another chance to spend time in it), I wondered what the old-time mechanics I once worked with would make of today’s technology-laden cars.

I’d give any money to see their faces when they realised an electric car could relay internal combustion engine sounds to the car’s interior. It may sound a bit spooky but, yes, I experienced the ‘beautiful noise’ in all the car’s four driving modes. Created scientifically rather than mechanically, it brought a sense of realism to my acquaintance with the GT.

Claiming the e-tron GT demonstrates the carmaker’s overall plans for shaping the future of mobility, the four-door coupé - a car that shares the same platform and powertrain as the Porsche Taycan - had its fair share of admirers over the period I drove it.

It’s fair to say the exterior style of the Audi e-tron GT is a dynamic work of art (the reason for all the head-turners). From the headlights to the large diffuser at the rear, the beautifully crafted details create a sculpture that looks like it was shaped by the wind.

The body line is extremely aerodynamic, and the drag coefficient is just 0.24. When driven in efficiency mode, the suspension even lowers the car’s body in order to make the most of the aerodynamics.

The interior matches a classic Gran Turismo design: the driver and front passenger seats are installed in a sporty, low position and separated by a wide centre console, and the rear seats provide sufficient space, even for adults.

I admired the calm elegance of the interior design because, unlike some of today’s new cars, Audi uses a sensible, undistracting 12.3” virtual cockpit and 10.1” MMI touch display rather than having a full-size TV screen on the dash.

In combination with the electric drive system, the fully variable quattro drive distributes power intelligently to the individual wheels. When sufficient traction is available, it sends power primarily to the front axle.

As I found out, the powerful electric motor provided confident electric all-wheel drive and stunning road performance to the legal limit and beyond, if you were foolish enough.

Capable of producing 469bhp and accelerating from 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds (RS version: 589bhp, 0-100km in 3.3 seconds), the 86kWh high-voltage battery enables a range of up to 479 kilometres (according to WLTP). The car’s advanced fast DC charging can achieve a 100km charge in 5 minutes.

Although I mostly drove on well-surfaced roads, the car’s suspension system (air suspension, ceramic brakes and rear axle steering optional) showed a nice balance of dynamism and comfort. Thanks to technologies such as Audi drive select, controlled damping and the rear-axle differential lock, this Audi demonstrated its great capabilities over the short drive.

The e-tron, because it’s more sporty than most EVs, regenerates power through braking rather than when releasing your foot off the accelerator; this also gives the car a better feeling that’s more akin to a petrol-powered sports car. An optional carbon fibre rooftop can be ordered to replace the heavier glass unit.

The seats are offered with a range of luxurious but leather-free design packages. Specification highlights include 19” alloys, quattro with e-torque vectoring, a panoramic glass sunroof and front & rear parking sensors.

The standard equipment on the e-tron GT includes a heat pump that heats the interior with the waste heat from the high-voltage components. This can reduce the loss of range caused by climate control significantly, especially in winter when it replaces the thermoelectric heating element.

Customers can manage pre-entry climate control of the interior and charging via their smartphones using the myAudi app. Like all Audi models, the e-tron GT is fully connected.