Yes, Audi’s latest GT electric four-door coupe looks impressive kerbside, with great sweeping lines and broad shoulders.
But while you would probably surmise that there was something special about it, I think most people would struggle to believe it is the most powerful production car ever made by the German giant.
Even more so, I believe most would struggle to comprehend how such a machine could cost €174,000, albeit with a phenomenal €34,000 in extras alone.
Visually it is not much more than a mild facelift, with different badging, more focussed grille, redesigned rear diffuser and new wheels (21in alloys on the test car).
Inside, the cabin is improved by the advent of redesigned seats which are sturdy and comfortable while the upgraded virtual cockpit now details information on the battery, temperature and more. It also shows the maximum charging power in real time. Not too much to write home about.
The real action lies beneath. There are substantial increases in range, power and performance.
The GT line-up now has three variants as opposed to two. There is the newly named S e-tron GT (tested), the RS e-tron GT and the new arrival, the RS e-tron GT Performance model.
The latter punches a monumental 912hp and has been officially clocked at the searing pace of getting to 100kmh from standing start in just 2.5 seconds.
Hard to believe, but that makes it the most powerful production car the brand has ever made.
The mid-range RS e-tron GT can deliver 845hp and takes a mere 2.8 seconds to hit 100kmh.
And my entry-level S e-tron GT model was no slouch either. It is capable of getting from a standstill to 100kmh in 3.4 seconds. It, too, has outlandish torque – pulling power. It felt so quick.
Just a short tap on the accelerator generated such thrust from the car’s response that my shoulder blades were in danger of being embedded in my seat.
Should you wish to go all out, there is a new standard boost function on the RS e-tron GT and the RS e-tron GT Performance models to yield a 94hp increase in power.
The boost lasts for 10 seconds.
I had to make do – poor me – with choosing from three modes of driving by selecting efficiency, comfort and dynamic. I tried all three but obviously dynamic was the ultimate choice. To help manage all that power, Audi needed more braking capacity so have fitted a new and enlarged brake system with standard steel discs and black calipers.
Many electric cars suffer from “soft” braking because of the need to accommodate regenerating energy to the battery. This had real bite.
There is a newly developed air suspension which didn’t work as well as I would have expected. I wanted a really taut body feel. I am quibbling. It was a tad softer than I’d prefer on lumpy twisty country roads.
But there was enormous grip with quattro permanent all-wheel-drive.
Optional all-wheel steering reduces the turning radius by about 0.6 metres (not to be sneezed in town or carpark).
The suspension can also raise the car’s height to 77mm in just a few seconds.
Rivals for the GT in this rarefied super-car atmosphere include the Porsche Taycan (both are built on parent company Volkswagen’s electric platform).
They are vastly different and not just in a few tweaks and a respective badge. But they are rivals just the same and both makers will be vying energetically for your favour.
That’s where fine margins of handling and ride come into play. Also in the frame are the likes of BMW’s i7 and iX, and the Mercedes EQS.
I couldn’t, of course, drive the car with anything remotely like the speed or verve of which it is capable. It is a car for the track. I can only imagine this great blur of power and pace thundering its way around Mondello Park.
It can be argued that all of this sort of makes the level of expenditure appear to be the motoring equivalent of using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut.
But for those who can afford, and want, a genuinely powerful electric car regardless of the legal limits it must obey, then there is much to admire.
There are also criticisms. The level and cost of options really is frightening. You pay a hefty initial retail price and then you absolutely lash on all sorts more. It’s a mad world.
The GT is big, roomy and comfortable and is yet another example of what electric power bases can do for a car.
Would I buy it? Yes, but only after a mega Lotto win.
Factfile
AUDI S e-tron GT
Electric GT four-door coupe, dual motor, automatic, power increase to 670hp; time 0-100kmh in 3.4 seconds. Retail price €139,635, total options: €34,442. Car tested: €174,077.
Range of driver and car assist systems, quattro permanent all-wheel-drive, adaptive air suspension, 97kWh useable battery, boost, torque 895Nm, claimed range 605kms, panoramic sunroof, 21in alloys; air quality pack, three-zone air con, sport/heated seats, reversing camera, virtual cockpit plus, adaptive cruise assist, artificial leather upholstery, all-wheel steering.
