Audi RS e-tron GT Review | The end of performance cars? (4K)

This is the Audi RS e-tron GT. It's the flagship for Audi's vast electric vehicle plans that dominate the company's lineup for the foreseeable future. Much like the Porsche Taycan on which it shares a platform, the e-tron GT is a halo model designed to steal your attention and boost the company's EV street cred. But here's the thing, I reckon that this car, this 116,000 pound rocket ship, could be the perfect example of why the performance car might not make it through the next generation of the motor car. And here's why. For starters, this car is ballistically quick. In regular RS spec it's got 590 brake horsepower, but when you put it in boost mode that increases to 637 brake horsepower, which makes for some pretty formidable launching abilities. All you got to do is come to a halt, check it's clear, put the car into dynamic mode like so, left foot on the brake, right foot on the accelerator, and lift off! It really is ballistically fast. It does 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds in a 2.3 tonne GT car, and that's enough speed to cause owners of even the fastest supercars a proper headache at the Traffic Light Grand Prix. It's a missile! Part of this is down to Audi's legendary quattro all-wheel-drive system, but the two-speed transmission on the rear axle also plays a considerable role. The higher gear deals with relaxed everyday driving, yet the lower gear is focused almost entirely on the launch off the line. And trust me when I say this, it needs to be felt to be believed. There's just one problem with the speed of this car, and it's nothing to do with the sound it makes or lack thereof. No, it's the fact that pretty much all EVs are, well, quick. The real-world difference between this and a regular e-tron GT, it isn't as obvious as you might expect, and you certainly can't say that for the difference between a 2-litre petrol A6 and an Audi RS6. You will definitely notice the difference there. And also, 0-62mph in less than 5 seconds used to be incredible. It was heroic. Now, it's the bare minimum in a luxury EV. It has to do that. It goes further than this, too. For example, the project director for BMW's iXM60 recently alluded to