2025 Audi RS e-tron GT performance First Drive Review: A Mind-Bending Halo Car Made Better

How do you replace an icon like the Audi R8, a V10 supercar with Lamborghini DNA? Well, building the most powerful and quickest accelerating car in your company’s history using an all-electric Porsche platform is a pretty good start. The 2025 Audi RS e-tron GT performance shares its architecture with the Porsche Taycan, an electric vehicle that has broken records with its mind-bending performance. Audi having access to such an incredible platform proves that the German brand’s parent company, Volkswagen Group, isn’t messing around with this car.

First arriving back in the 2022 model year, the e-tron GT gets its first major facelift for 2025, integrating many of the same improvements from its Porsche sibling. The base model has been replaced by a new S e-tron GT trim, and the top RS trim (now called the performance) gets a huge power boost, delivering a dizzying 912 horsepower. This was already one of the quickest EVs around but the new model manages to go beyond the already blistering performance while also improving range and charging, two arguably more important metrics. Is the 2025 RS e-tron GT finally ready to emerge from the Porsche-shaped shadow that once engulfed it? A trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend the first drive is needed to answer that question.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

What’s Changed For 2025?

Audi’s current naming convention isn’t exactly self-explanatory, nor is the e-tron GT in the company’s lineup. It’s a long, low-slung sedan that’s priced above an A8, but focused more on performance than comfort. Audi made minimal changes to the e-tron GT’s exterior, which is fine given that this was already the brand’s most attractive sedan in ages. It still features slick, low-slung proportions, now with revised front and rear fascias on the RS performance model. The RS also receives new 20-inch wheels (21-inch wheels are optional). As before, a carbon fiber roof is standard to help reduce weight, but Audi now offers a new glass roof with nine-segment transparency control, like the one in the Porsche Taycan. There are some other minor changes inside, including an updated steering wheel, available Vanadium Interior Package, and white power gauge.

The deeper changes happen under the skin, where a larger, more efficient battery pack delivers impressive range: 300 miles for the S (249 miles previously) and 278 miles for the RS (232 miles previously). Audi also improved the charging speed, now delivering a 10-80% charge in just 18 mins (21.5 minutes previously). This is now one of the quickest-charging EVs on the market, and it’s matched only by its violent acceleration. Output increases from 523 hp in the base model to 670 hp, and the RS version skyrockets from 670 to 912 hp. Like the Porsche Panamera and Taycan, the RS e-tron can now be equipped with active damper control suspension with wheel-selective electrohydraulic actuators. This system serves practical functions, like lifting the car for better egress and ingress, but it also plays a major role in improving performance.

Exterior Design: Still Stunning

This was already a stunning car before the facelift, and it remains so after. Some eyes might prefer the curvier Porsche Taycan, but you could also argue the Audi e-tron GT is more conventional and less controversial. The base 20-inch five-spoke aero module design wheels are not our favorite, but the optional 21-inch six-double-spoke RS design wheels look fantastic for $2,500 extra. These forged wheels are also available in a dark finish, but they require a pricey $8,400 Forged Carbon Package that also includes carbon fiber details like the mirrors, front fascia accents, lower doors, and a woven matte carbon roof.

Audi updated the color palette, albeit minorly, with Arkona White now standing alone as the only free color. Mythos Black, Kemora Gray, Ascari Blue, Progressive Red, Bedford Green, Florett Silver, Daytona Gray, and Nimbus Gray are all available for just $595. Progressive Red replaces Tango Red and is now our favorite color. Buyers with unlimited funds can opt for an Audi Exclusive color. Thankfully, the center “grille” area is now finished in body color only and is no longer available in black like the original car.

Interior: A Carbon Castle

Changes to the interior are minimal, focused mostly on a new steering wheel with what Audi calls “satellite control” buttons. These include a new push-to-pash button on the steering wheel, which delivers an extra shot of 94 hp for a 10-second burst, and an RS button to cycle through drive modes. Audi also swapped the conventional buttons for capacitive touch controls, which we typically hate. These are done pretty well though, with the ability to swipe with your finger or click to operate. Fine Nappa leather comes standard on the RS in all-black or Arras Red, but you can also add a $1,900 RS performance design package with Black-Rock Gray or Serpentine Green accents. The front seats are heated and ventilated with massage, while the rear seats are heated only.

As with the previous car, the new e-tron GT lacks the practicality you might expect from a four-door Audi like the A6 or A7. Those sports car proportions mean the roof is low, even after the active suspension lifts the car. The A-pillar is awkwardly placed in front of the front seat, meaning you will bang into it every time you go to sit down. This car is best considered a two-plus-two since it only has 32.2 inches of rear legroom (an A6 has 37.4 inches). The trunk is similarly small, with just 9.2 cubic feet of space (13.7 cubes in the A6), though the e-tron GT does have an additional 1.8 cubic feet under the hood.

Infotainment: No Updates?

Out of all the changes to this car for 2025, the infotainment was completely neglected. The 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen is unchanged, now looking a bit small in such an expensive car. What it lacks in size, the screen makes up for with a simple layout and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Audi’s Virtual Cockpit display is similarly intuitive, even though the steering wheel buttons are now touch capacitive. Unlike the Taycan, you at least get physical controls for the climate and audio. You get a lightweight carbon fiber roof as standard, but can opt for a panoramic fixed glass roof with variable light control for no cost. This is the same roof found in the Taycan, where it can become opaque in nine segments; it’s extremely cool.

Powertrain & Driving: A-Level Performance

Audi improved the battery and charging technology in every measurable way. The 93.4 kWh battery has been replaced by a 105 kWh capacity one that still takes up the same physical space while also weighing 25 pounds less. Thanks to new cell chemistry and improved thermal management, this larger, more efficient battery delivers greatly improved range. The S e-tron GT can travel 300 miles on a charge (with 20-inch wheels), a huge bump over the outgoing base car’s 249-mile range. Opting for 21-inch wheels drops the range slightly to 294 miles. As for the RS model, it now goes 278 miles, up from just 232. Drivers can also replenish electricity even more quickly than before. The peak charge rate jumps from 270 to 320 kW, meaning you can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes (21.5 minutes previously). This is all good stuff.

Quicker Than Audi Claims

And it’s not just the boring practical stuff that Audi improved. The new GT is quicker. Much, much quicker. You now get 670 horsepower from the S e-tron GT, more power than the outgoing RS. 0-60 in this new model takes 3.3 seconds (3.9 in the old base car), just two-tenths slower than the old RS. The RS takes a page from the updated Porsche Taycan, delivering a hypercar-like 912 hp during launch control.

That additional power is due in part to a new rear motor, which is lighter (by 22 pounds) and more compact with increased copper density to maximize current conduction. Audi says the car will hit 60 mph in just 2.4 seconds, but we managed to beat that time (2.32 seconds) going slightly uphill at Speed Vegas. On a separate occasion, we clocked times of 2.24 and 2.17 seconds, both of which were done with less than 70% state-of-charge. No matter what time we use, the RS e-tron GT is now the quickest-accelerating car we have tested.

You can’t talk about the RS e-tron GT without mentioning its bonkers acceleration. It’s violent. We’ve driven quick EVs before; they typically throw your skull into the headrest. This takes it a step further by trying to push your brain and other vital organs beyond your skin and into the rear seat. We want to confirm on flatter, familiar roads in Florida, but our 2.17-second recorded 0-60 time in Las Vegas is frankly astonishing. If repeatable, that would place this four-door sedan behind only some of the quickest cars in the world, such as the Lamborghini Revuelto, Lucid Air Sapphire, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Ferrari SF90, Tesla Model S Plaid, and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. Not bad company.

This isn’t a one-trick pony either. You get air suspension with a new two-chamber, two-valve setup (previously three-chamber, one-valve) on both the S and RS models, but we tested the available active hydraulic suspension (RS only). This system is borrowed from Porsche and can use the hydraulics to lean into corners, flatten the vehicle during acceleration and braking, and cushion the suspension over bumps. The result is McLaren-like handling with Bentley-like ride comfort; it’s magic. You get the active suspension as part of an $11,000 Dynamic Plus package, which also bundles carbon ceramic brakes that can unstick you from the seats after the electric motors shove you back into oblivion. It’s a pricey package, but given that Porsche charges $7,390 for Active Ride and $5,950 for ceramic brakes, Audi is offering them at a slight discount.

We criticized the outgoing e-tron GT because the steering felt less direct than its Porsche sibling. While there is still a gap between the two cars, Audi made the steering ratio more direct to the point where the difference is now negligible. We said the previous car had the best steering of any Audi (apart from the R8), and that statement remains true after this facelift. The Porsche DNA makes this the most entertaining Audi currently on sale, RS3 and RS6/RS7 included.

Verdict & Pricing: A Performance Halo Worth Appreciating

Audi didn’t just improve its battery technology and performance out of pure kindness; you will pay for these upgrades. The S e-tron GT now starts at $125,500 for the Premium Plus trim level or $135,800 for the Prestige (before a $1,295 destination & delivery fee), exactly $19,000 more than last year’s model. Keep in mind though, the S gets more power than last year’s RS, and it delivers comparable performance. The RS e-tron GT costs $167,000 and can approach nearly $200,000 with options.

Considering that Porsche charges $175,000 for the less powerful Taycan Turbo, even before the company’s infamous add-ons, the RS e-tron GT is somewhat of a bargain. The Taycan Turbo S delivers similar power and performance, albeit for a $209,900 starting price. If you need practicality, the Lucid Air Sapphire delivers even more impressive straight-line speed with 1,234 hp, but it’s pricey at $249,000. The Tesla Model S Plaid is the bargain of this group at $94,990 and has the most range (348 miles), but it’s by far the least luxurious.

We see the RS e-tron GT as a sports car replacement that could be used as a daily driver, not a practical family car. That being said, Audi’s charging and range improvements combined with the magic adaptive suspension now make this an ideal road trip vehicle, even though the range is lower than some competitors. This is an excellent flagship for the Audi brand, though we’d like to see them expand with a more usable vehicle (hopefully a wagon) in the future.