A new high-performance Audi e-tron is being put through its paces at the Nürburgring

The four-ringed brand has just presented its new Audi e-tron in Spain and we have already tested it but now the German manufacturer wants to go a step further and is putting a high-performance version of the Audi e-tron through its paces on the legendary Nürburgring circuit in Germany.

The high-performance Audi e-tron is undergoing very demanding testing. The new version of the first electric Audi has a familiar design but features some subtle changes, which the camouflage of the test mule reveals.

At the front, the test prototypes have been fitted with a modified bumper featuring angular accents that channel air towards the larger intakes. Presumably they are there to improve cooling for the more robust braking system.

Additional styling changes are limited, but the prototypes feature large lightweight alloy wheels which, according to some sources, are wrapped in wider tyres. Last but not least, there is a revised rear bumper and a new diffuser with two fins protruding from the lower section.

When will we see the high-performance Audi e-tron?

Although nothing is official, Audi may have hinted at the engine of this performance model during the presentation of the Audi e-tron Sportback concept in 2017. The four-ringed brand’s concept featured a three-motor configuration with a single electric motor at the front and two electric motors on the rear axle.

At the time, the carmaker stated that the concept “uses a configuration that will also be adopted in future fully electric Audi production models”. If this powered Audi e-tron shares the same powertrain, everything points to a combined power output of 430 CV, rising to 500 CV in Boost mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOVStiMDq-Y

These power figures significantly improve on the current Audi e-tron that has just arrived on the market. This model has two electric motors producing 360 CV and a maximum torque of 560 Nm. Importantly, for 8 seconds and on demand, the Boost mode allows the model to deliver 408 CV and a maximum torque of 664 Nm.

As a result, the high-performance Audi e-tron being tested at the Nürburgring can be expected to be significantly quicker than the standard crossover, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds.

The current Audi e-tron has a real-world range of 417 kilometres according to WLTP cycle homologation, seats five passengers, and some versions feature Audi Virtual Mirrors, which replace the iconic mirrors with video cameras. The image can be viewed from inside the model and can be adjusted by touch to suit the driver’s height. These side cameras are manufactured by Ficosa in Spain and have made the Audi e-tron the first series-production car to replace mirrors with video cameras.

Some sources claim the future high-performance Audi e-tron could be scheduled for presentation next year, 2020, could form part of the electric offensive the four-ringed brand has planned, and could also be given the nameplate S or RS.