Rapid off the line
As the lights go out, the Audi RS e-tron GT’s power is boosted to 646PS for 2.5 seconds through the launch control option. Using Audi’s amped up all-electric quattro drive, every ounce of instantly-on-demand all-electric torque is transmitted instantly to the road. The shiny 10-spoke multi-spoke and low-profile 21-inch tyres grip the circuit and propel the Audi RS e-tron GT towards Goodwood’s first corner with more electric acceleration than you can comprehend, covering 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds.
“This car is seriously quick,” says Baz. “Some electric cars I’ve driven feel fast, but this is something else. As I put my foot down, I was compressed so far into the back of the seat that my leg was straight to the pedals. For the next lap, I actually had to move the seat forward just to make sure I could keep my foot planted to the floor!”
Sharp on the brakes
Within seconds, the Audi RS e-tron GT reaches the challenging right-hander of Madgwick, arcing sharply out of view beyond the end of Goodwood’s historic pitlane. As Baz stamps on the big pedal, the e-tron GT’s powerful six-piston calipers bite hard into the tungsten-carbide-coated brake discs.
“The brakes on the Audi RS e-tron GT are awesome,” Baz admits. “They work best when there’s temperature in them, so they really come to life when you’re on-track. The braking is really stable and predictable which gives you the confidence to attack the corners and brake later and later with every passing lap.”
One of the Audi RS e-tron GT’s unique all-electric abilities isregenerative braking. Honed by Audi in the white-hot heat of twice-round-the-clock endurance racing at Le Mans, it recaptures unused energy while the car is braking and directs it back to the e-tron GT’s large-capacity advanced 93.4kWh lithium-ion battery. On the road, this gives the Audi RS e-tron GT up to 283 miles of range. But here, on the track, it’s all about efficiently redirecting power to be better used later in the lap.