Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo - New Race Taxi for Formula E events
From virtuality to reality! It’s the shortest description of the Audi e-tron Vision Grand Turismo, a new fully-electric race car which Audi introduced today and announced that it would be used as a race taxi at Formula E events, starting with the race in Rome on Saturday, April 14. Audi’s car started its life as virtual car originally developed exclusively for PlayStation 4 gaming console.
Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo
“E-Mobility is rapidly gaining importance. That is why in 2017 Audi was the first German manufacturer to enter Formula E with a factory-backed commitment. In our development laboratory motorsport, we are continuously expanding our expertise in e-mobility and gathering valuable experience also in extremely demanding conditions.
With the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo race taxi we are turning electric mobility into a tangible experience for our customers and guests as part of the Formula E races – in the middle of the world’s metropolises,” says Peter Mertens, Member of the Board of Management in Audi AG.
Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo started its life as a virtual car
Audi designers created the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo for the “Vision Gran Turismo” competition that was launched on the market on the occasion of the popular game’s 15th anniversary. Many of virtual concept cars, developed for the contest, were subsequently built as full-scale models as well and presented at trade shows. The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo, however, is the first concept car of this range to be deployed to real-world race tracks as a fully functional vehicle.
“This is what we are particularly proud of. Although the design of a virtual vehicle allows much greater freedom and the creation of concepts which are only hard to implement in reality, we did not want to put a purely fictitious concept on wheels. Our aim was a fully functional car. The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo shows that electric mobility at Audi is very emotive. This car incorporates numerous elements of our new design language such as the inverted single frame in the vehicle’s color that will be typical for our new e-tron models,” says Audi’s chief designer Marc Lichte.
Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo
Audi has deliberately taken up design elements and the color of the legendary Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO which thrilled motorsport fans in 1989. Featuring a combination of systematic lightweight design and quattro drive paired with a powerful five-cylinder turbo engine, the car was far ahead of its time back then.
The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo has permanent all-wheel drive as well, the fully electric e-tron quattro all-wheel drive with variable power distribution. Three electric motors, each with output of 200 kW, propel the concept car. Two electric motors drive the rear axle and the third one the front axle, using individual components from the future Audi e-tron. System output is 600 kW (815 hp). With a curb weight of 1,450 kilograms the electric race car has a power to weight ratio of 1.78 kilograms per horsepower with ideal 50:50 percent weight distribution between the front and the rear axle. The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2.5 seconds.
The futuristic race taxi will be deployed at all European Formula E races and numerous other events in 2018. At the wheel will be former DTM driver Rahel Frey or Le Mans winner Dindo Capello.
Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo will serve as race taxi at Formula E events
Photos: Audi,
