Expect a range of exciting RS-badged plug-in hybrids before EVs take over.
The electrified future of Audi's RS division is full of exciting new models, and these will be “no less amazing” than the combustion RS models available today. That's according to Sebastian Grams, managing director of Audi Sport, who discussed the future of Audi RS in the years ahead with Autocar, leading up to the brand's 2030 goal of all models being either EVs or partially electrified models.
The RS division has already begun this electrified journey, of course, with the blisteringly quick RS e-tron GT – already a recipient of a major CarBuzz Award. But Grams promises that many more high-performance EVs, plug-in hybrids, and SUVs are on the way. That will help Audi RS match BMW M's extensive lineup; currently, there are around half the number of current or upcoming RS Audis listed on CarBuzz relative to the number of BMW M cars.
To further illustrate some of the gaps in the RS lineup, there is currently no direct RS alternative to models like the BMW M8 Coupe, BMW X5 M, Mercedes-AMG EQE, and Mercedes-AMG C63 in the USA.
“We are going in the direction of performance plug-in hybrid systems,” said Grams. “This is what we are going for, and I can tell you, this will be no less amazing than what you're driving today. I personally believe that you will also have more opportunities to design the driving performance to be even cooler for the customer.”
Grams referenced the drift mode in the R8 GT and hinted that this could be combined with e-motors to create a fun, unique driving experience. As with electric components of any kind, though, Audi RS will have to carefully balance power with weight to retain the agility that is inherent in most RS models.
Audi doesn't have a full hybrid in its RS lineup currently, though. Models like the RS7 have a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, but that doesn't influence the performance and driving experience to nearly the same degree as high-performance hybrids from rivals such as the BMW XM and new Mercedes-AMG C63 E Performance. Audi will have kept its eye on these competitors, so Grams promises an exciting period between the combustion and full-electric eras where “combustion engines play a role to make a hybrid powertrain agile and fun.”
As far as Audi RS EVs go, the brand will build on the success of the RS e-tron GT. “We have our Audi RS Q3 and Audi RS Q8 which are very well accepted in the market. But we will also bring more SUV models in the RS segment and also in the electric world. We have 16 different models within the RS portfolio and we are trying to offer the perfect product to different customer groups,” said Grams.
There is a feeling among some BMW M and Mercedes-AMG fans that these high-performance sub-brands have become too diluted, though, with almost every second model sporting one of the badges. Grams said that “We don’t want RS ‘inflation’. So not each product should be an RS.”
Be that as it may, it does seem like the RS sub-brand will rapidly expand, with upcoming models like the RS Q6 e-tron which will share its architecture with the delayed Porsche Macan EV.
Grams mentioned the R8 and TT too, saying that the company’s “biggest wish is to have a successor” to the R8. However, he didn’t expand upon any details for this potential successor. He was also reluctant to comment on plans for an electric TT, saying that we should “see what the future brings.”
While we’ll have to wait and see if Audi’s new generation of high-performance EVs and PHEVs can match older RS models, the RS e-tron GT makes us hopeful that these models will still be great to drive.
Source Credits: Autocar
Keyword: Audi Has Some Amazing Plans For Electrified RS Models