Audi’s take on the Porsche Taycan is edging closer and closer to production, with a prototype snapped performance testing at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany.
The 2022 Audi e-tron GT was previewed in concept form at last year’s Geneva motor show and was originally scheduled to hit “volume production” in late 2020.
Delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have pushed the start of production back by a few months.
2019 Audi e-tron GT concept
Under its sexy skin, the e-tron GT is set to ride on the same underpinnings as the Porsche Taycan – the prototypes were seen testing alongside production Taycans – meaning a powerful dual-motor electric drivetrain. The e-tron GT concept was claimed to have 490kW, which is quite close to the 500kW power output of the Taycan Turbo.
Like its Porsche-badged sibling, the e-tron GT will take the form of a four-door coupe, keeping very close in design to the concept.
It’s believed the production model will offer several tunes like the Taycan, likely including a ‘base’ model with the Taycan 4S’s 390kW and 640Nm outputs, while the flagship will feature the Taycan Turbo’s aforementioned 500kW and 850Nm.
The standard model should offer a circa 4.0-second 0-100km/h sprint time, while the performance hero could be nudging the 3.0-second mark.
2019 Audi e-tron GT concept
Meanwhile, the 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack of the concept car was good for around 400km driving range on the combined test cycle. The Taycan offers both 79.2kWh and 93.4kWh battery capacities with between 405km and 420km depending on variant.
Beyond its go-fast credentials, the e-tron GT will likely be a tech showcase for Audi’s all-electric range given its flagship status, incorporating the company’s latest in infotainment and driver assistance systems.
The concept had a flamboyant take on Audi’s current interior design language, though we’d expect the overall aesthetic will be maintained for the production model, much like the exterior.
2019 Audi e-tron GT concept interior 
If the design study is anything to go by, the e-tron GT may forgo the dual-screen centre stack of Audi’s flagship models, opting instead for a pared-back driver-focused layout with the main 10.1-inch display sitting high in the dash and a large 12.3-inch virtual cockpit display ahead of the driver.
As for timing, it’s believed the Audi e-tron GT will be officially revealed either very late in 2020 or early in 2021, a little behind its original production forecast of late 2020.
The German marque has yet to officially confirm whether the e-tron GT will make its way to Australian showrooms, though at the reveal of the concept a spokesperson for the local division told media that Audi Australia had “expressed interest” in the production model.
Audi has outlined an ambitious electrification rollout plan over the coming five years, and the e-tron GT could serve as the company’s new performance flagship given the combustion-powered TT sports car and R8 supercar may not make it to another generation.
The luxury arm of the Volkswagen Group plans to have 20 electric models on sale by 2025, which includes the e-tron GT as well as the upcoming Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron crossovers, due to hit the market in 2021.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest, and let us know which you’d choose – Audi e-tron GT or Porsche Taycan?
