Audi Sport's First EV Is Basically A Porsche Taycan In A Suit

• The next-generation RS4 will feature a PHEV setup.
• The E-tron Sportback SUV will also get an RS-badged version.
• The E-tron GT is likely to share its powertrain with the Taycan.

From what appears now, Audi’s famed performance wing, Audi Sport, is going all-electric starting with E-tron GT’s RS version. The E-tron GT might not be a familiar name but Taycan should ring some bells, right? The E-tron GT is an all-electric four-door performance sedan, hugely based on the Porsche Taycan.

Sometime back in September, we had revealed Audi Sport’s decision to go all out with electrification. During a media interaction at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH, Oliver Hoffmann, said, “Electrification is the foundation of Audi Sport."

Currently, the E-tron lineup comprises two SUVs: the E-tron and the E-tron Sportback. Starting with the E-tron GT, the upcoming electrified RS model lineup includes an E-tron version of the R8, RS4, as well as an RS-badged E-tron Sportback SUV.

It is too early to pinpoint the exact technical specifications of the E-tron GT. Its concept version came with two motors, sending 582PS/800Nm to all four wheels. The production version is most likely to share its powertrain with Porsche Taycan, which is available in three options: 4S, Turbo and Turbo S. The 4S is the entry-level variant with 522PS of power, while the Turbo and Turbo S put out 670PS and 750PS respectively. 

The E-tron GT is also expected to share most of its mechanicals with the Taycan and is likely to come with similar range and fast-charging capabilities. The standard version of the E-tron is expected to come out this year followed by the range-topping RS version. 

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Audi Sport has also revealed that the RS4 will be the first RS model to gain a PHEV setup. Hence, the next-gen RS4 is likely to make use of a four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor. Audi had introduced the all-electric R8 supercar in 2015, which was discontinued due to poor demand. But as it turns out, Audi Sport is contemplating reviving the R8 E-tron, probably by 2021.

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