2025 Audi RS E-tron GT is a paradox

This one was probably a personal record. Now, I don’t actually keep a spreadsheet of recorded acceleration runs I’ve done over the years, but I can count on one hand how many of those cars had published 0-100 km/h acceleration times under three seconds. The 2025 Audi RS E-tron GT is officially documented as hitting 100 km/h in 2.

5 seconds. We had the privilege of taking the RS E-tron GT out onto the front straight of Speed Vegas and launching it with abandon a few times and the full force of those acceleration Gs was literally dizzying, paired with feeling crushed into the seats as we screamed past 100 km/h and eclipsed 100 mph (160 km/h) well before hitting the first braking zone. It was thrilling and disorienting and I could have spent all day repeating the exercise over and over again.



As amazing as that acceleration is, that was not the highlight of the demonstration, nor was it necessarily the coup de grâce of this very thorough mid-cycle update. Surprisingly, a major focus of this redesign was actually comfort, which seems inconsistent with the 275-horsepower increase for the RS model, and a base model ( S E-tron GT in Canada) that has 30 more horsepower than the previous RS halo model , and 0-100 times dropping by almost a second. Another shock and awe statistic for EV nerds is that despite gaining almost 300 horsepower, Audi engineers squeezed an extra 11.

6 kWh out of the same size battery pack using CHEMISTRY while also dropping over 10 kilos (~25 pounds) of weight, and charging times are quicker thanks in large part to cooler batteries (cooler as in lower temperature, not more neat-o). With all of those headliner updates, you wouldn’t think that active suspension would steal the show, but if the acceleration pushed my eyeballs all the way back into my brain, they popped right back out of their sockets watching the electronically controlled hydraulic suspension counteract the laws of physics and pull off a neat party trick making the RS E-tron GT a more friendly luxury car. First, the party trick: Entry mode.

Not sure if that’s what Audi calls it, but you get the idea. I have never seen a more aggressive or effective entry mode in any vehicle. The entire car lifts a couple of inches in a sudden leap, not like the usual slow rise or drop of air suspensions, bringing the car up to maximum height and offering crossover like ease of entry.

While this seems a bit goofy and minor, you have to get into this car every time you’re going to drive it, and I recall from our long-term test of the 2023 RS E-tron GT that it was almost as taxing as something like a 911 or Audi R8 to lower oneself into. Many of the customers that will buy this are no doubt in or beyond their prime, with bad backs and knees and hips that will appreciate this little courtesy. However, the elevated entry trick is not the real purpose of this state-of-the-art active hydraulic suspension, but the primary benefit is still predominantly about make the RS E-tron GT a more comfortable car to drive or be driven in, rather than increasing its absolute performance limits.

Stephan Reil, Audi Chief Technical Engineer for the e-tron GT program (and a veritable Audi engineering legend with several hall of fame RS projects to his credit), who was on hand for the launch, called the car’s ability to counteract the forces of acceleration “helicopter mode” because of the actions of the dampers, although in truth the effect is almost undetectable, which is kind of the point. During acceleration, the hydraulic pumps work their magic in the front and rear dampers to push the rear end up and keep the nose down (like a helicopter’s attitude when accelerating forward), almost perfectly eliminating the pitch or ‘squat’ during acceleration, magically maintaining the same low, level profile. Inside the car, there is less drama — you still get crushed back into your seat, but there is less feeling that you are tipping or reclining.

During hard braking, the damper actions are reversed, preventing the car from ‘diving’ down in front, though that should not tarnish the incredible stopping power of the 410-millimetre (16.1-inch) front and 365-mm (14.4-in.

) rear ventilated rotors with six- and four-piston calipers front and rear. The RS E-tron GT comes with standard Carbide rotors, with optional carbon ceramics, but those would be overkill on a car not likely to see much track use. The carbide brakes on the models we drove were more than up to the task of scrubbing speed, but in daily use the regenerative braking will do the lion’s share of deceleration, and it too has been dramatically improved.

2024 models maxed out at 0.38g of deceleration force, and the 2025 has been increased to 0.45g, with more differentiation between standard coasting modes and high-recuperation one-pedal driving mode, so mechanical braking would only come into effect in very hard braking scenarios.

Aside from the stopping power, the energy recuperation of the regen braking has also gotten a boost, up from 290 to 400 kW, another factor helping to extend the e-Tron GT’s range. Perhaps the most frequently exercised functions of the active suspension will be its active cornering and ride comfort, which are felt throughout any drive over any rough surfaces or at every turn. As with braking and acceleration, cars lean away from the direction they are turning, but the E-tron GT’s suspension actively pushes against that lean and keeps the car almost unnaturally flat out on public roads and it just feels extremely calm, but when pushed to extremes on the track, Comfort mode was counterintuitively flatter in hard side-to-side slalom than Performance mode.

But remember, the goal of this suspension is achieving supernatural comfort by eliminating all that bobbing, weaving, tipping, and leaning, and instead just floating on a smooth, flat plane. Performance mode dials in permanently super-stiff damping so it leans progressively as the supercomputer brains and electric motors distribute power gleefully to all four corners to assist with corner exits and traction. While this car is capable of epic feats of athleticism, it is not intended or expected to serve as a track car (which makes me wonder why it really needs 900+ hp.

..), so its exploitable performance is well below what most owners will ever have a chance to feel, but the ability of the suspension to both cosset or deliver thrills can be enjoyed on any given drive, and the incredibly fast response time of this active suspension means that it soaks up many bumps and dips on the road that most cars of this sporting ability would rattle your teeth.

2025 Audi RS E-tron GT electric range and charging times Before we sign off, just a little bit more about the leaps in range and charging times thanks to the 105 kWh battery. The base model in Canada, the 2025 Audi S E-tron GT is not surprisingly the range king of the lineup and gets a range increase from 399 to 483 km (473 km with 21-inch wheel upgrade) and that’s with a leap from 522 hp to 670 hp. RS models get an extra 47 km of range, going from 399 to 446 km.

Audi was already a quick charge, but with an increase from 270 to 320 kW max charging capacity, it has reduced its pitstop times from 22 to 18 minutes for 10 to 80% recharge (if you can find a charging station that actually delivers 320+ kW). Audi was also very proud of its charging curve, able to maintain 250+ kW charging levels from below 10 all the way up to almost 70%, those who have spent any significant time geeking out on their EV’s charging rates or David Booth’s Range Finder series will know that many EVs struggle to maintain peak charging for very long periods. Credit for this excellent charging (both at high-speed chargers and regenerative braking) is attributed to a new “U-Flow” cooling architecture and cooling plate that improves the consistency of cooling throughout the battery pack.

Long-term test: 2023 Audi RS E-tron GT2025 Audi E-tron GT takes up brand's performance haloThe 2025 Porsche Taycan is mind-numbingly fast and one sweet handling drive2024 BMW i7 M70 is the fastest BMW EV ever 2025 Audi RS E-tron GT Canadian pricing So, to sum up everything so far: More powerful, faster, more comfortable, increased range, faster charging, the interior is high tech and easy to use, with killer stereo and beautiful materials and amenities. Yeah, it does it all, so it should be no surprise that it has a price tag to match. The Canadian base price makes a drastic leap to $152,300 + $2,850 Freight (up from $134,315 MSRP + $2,850 Freight).

The 912-hp 2025 RS E-tron GT climbs into heavyweight pricing at $200,350 + $2,850 Freight, up from $184,615 + $2,850 for 637-hp 2024 models. In either trim there are options galore to customize it to your taste and lovely colours and material flourishes (the forged carbon is next level). The 2025 Audi RS E-tron GT is a car that exceeds almost any conceivable need for a car within the current limits of technology.

Yes, gas cars will be quicker to refuel, so perhaps a cannonball run is out of the question, but it’s more limited by infrastructure than its own limitations. This is a car that will be accessible only to a select few that have such disposable income, and there are very few wrong answers at this price, so whether it is this Audi , its Porsche Taycan cousin, or a ludicrous Tesla Model S , you’ll have speed and range to spare, but the Audi makes its mark with the best looks in the segment and a level of comfort that is hard to conceive or comprehend without experiencing it firsthand. This is a car that will spoil its owner in every way, and is a flagship technological marvel to further elevate the Audi brand.

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