Arriving in the United States this summer, the all-new Audi RS e-tron GT is the first high-performance electric gran turismo model from the German premium carmaker. But before we decide whether to buy or not, it might be better to see if it meets expectations first. Perhaps 2016 F1 champ Nico Rosberg's recent experience can help. He had an opportunity to race a prototype of the Audi RS e-tron GT against a Formula E race car.
Rosberg Experiences The Audi RS e-tron GT First-Hand
Nico admits to having a newfound love with electric cars. He had a great time driving a Porsche Taycan Turbo S and even ordered a Rimac C_Two electric hypercar. Thus, it wasn’t a surprise when he recently paid the Audi Driving Experience Center (in Neuburg, Germany) a visit to test drive an Audi RS e-tron GT, or a prototype at least.
At the time of Nico's visit, the location was being heavily bombarded with snow. That situation would make any drag race unviable, especially if the track is covered with snow. Thankfully, as good as they were with creating amazing vehicles, the bright people at Audi thought of a simple solution to ensure that the track remained dry—by covering it.
Battle Of Champions: Formula 1 Vs Formula E
Once the snowfall was over, Nico and the group from Audi headed to the track. Joining them is another world champion who was tasked with driving the Formula E car racer, none other than 2017 Formula E World Champion Lucas Di Grassi, who is also part of Audi Sport ABT Schaffler competing in the 2021 Formula E season.
Nico and Lucas had two races. In the first race, the e-Tron FE07 crossed the 1/8 mile finish line first, although its lead against the RS e-Tron GT was minimal. Nico attributed the first-run loss to slower reaction time as caused by the anti-slip control.
Audi RS e-Tron GT Winning Against The e-Tron FE07?
After figuring out how to squeeze a better launch from the RS e-Tron GT, Nico signaled the start of the second race. This time, the RS e-Tron GT crossed the finish line first, although the e-Tron FE07 wasn't really far behind.
Source: Nico Rosberg on YouTube