40 years of Audi Sport - Power, precision and an electrifying future

Celebrate 40 years of Audi Sport. With the legendary quattro at its core, Audi has redefined performance on and off the track. From thrilling acceleration to timeless design, our vehicles embody the exciting fusion of power and elegance. As we embark on an even more dynamic future, Audi Sport continues to push boundaries, delivering high-performance that heightens the driving experience. Here's to four decades and a future where innovation moves us forward.

“We have been very successful at what we do for 40 years. We’re now taking our DNA, that what sets us apart, with us into an exciting future.”

Steffen Bamberger, Head of Technical Development Audi Sport GmbH

“A clear and consistent electrification strategy is the basis for the future viability of our business,” says Sebastian Grams, Managing Director Audi Sport GmbH. Audi will flip the switch as early as 2026 and from that moment on, the brand will only launch new electric cars for the global market. Production of the last combustion engines will be phased out by 2033.

Audi Sport GmbH plays a key role in the electrification of the vehicles of the brand with the four rings. “The step forward is exciting. We have been very successful at what we do for 40 years. We are now taking our DNA, that what sets us apart, with us into an exciting future,” says Steffen Bamberger, Head of Technical Development Audi Sport GmbH. “As far as the striking design of our RS models is concerned, we will also combine the proven with the new in the future. Confident understatement and dynamic sharpness, paired with futuristic design elements that stand for e-mobility,” says Audi exterior designer Stephan Fahr-Becker.

Audi Sport GmbH has been producing the all-electric Audi e-tron GT quattro and Audi RS e-tron GTmodels on its Böllinger Höfe small-series production line in Heilbronn since the end of 2020. The basic model and the RS variant of the four-door Gran Turismo went on sale simultaneously in February 2021. The Audi RS e-tron GT is the dynamic spearhead of electric mobility at Audi. “With the RS e-tron GT, we are pioneers of e-mobility in the high-performance segment. It marks the entry into the purely electric RS world of Audi and, as a highly emotional image bearer, is an important milestone for the entire brand,” says Rolf Michl, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH.

The Audi RS e-tron GT consistently combines high performance and sustainability, and thus represents a new dimension of RS. Its two electric motors on the front and rear axles deliver a total output of 440 kW (598 hp). The superior all-wheel drivetrain, with its lightning-fast control systems, ensures maximum dynamics, stability and traction and makes the high-performance electric coupe from the former quattro GmbH (now known as Audi Sport GmbH) a true next-generation quattro.

The RS version of the progressive sports car impresses with dynamic performance. The Audi RS e-tron GT accelerates from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.3 seconds, to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 10.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). The fast-charging times of its high-voltage battery are as superior as its driving performance. Its voltage level of 800 volts allows fast direct current (DC) charging with a maximum output of 270 kW – under ideal conditions, five minutes of charging is enough for about 100 kilometers of driving. The standard equipment of the Audi RS e-tron GT, which has been expanded compared with the basic model, includes the e-tron sport sound and adaptive air suspension.

Audi Sport GmbH is also a key driver of electrified mobility for Audi in motorsport. For example, the innovative Audi RS Q e-tron prototype was developed under the leadership of the sporty Audi subsidiary. With the most complex race car in its history to date, Audi has been engaged in cross-country rally racing since 2022, including the most famous and toughest desert classic, the Dakar Rally. The alternative drivetrain concept of the Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and a highly efficient energy converter for the first time. The energy converter consists of the highly efficient TFSI engine from the successful Audi DTM touring car, together with another generator. This system charges the high-voltage battery as needed while driving. It supplies the electric drivetrain of the Audi RS Q e-tron with current. The high efficiency of the overall system saves fuel significantly when compared to conventional drivetrains.

Audi Sport GmbH realized another e-highlight together with Audi Design in the record time of eight months: the Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron. The legendary Audi Sport quattro S1 from the 1980s served as the visual inspiration for this purely electric all-wheel-drive prototype. Technically, the Audi S1 Hoonitron, developed especially for the unforgotten U.S. drift star Ken Block and his crowd-pleasing video production Electrikhana, combines the highlights of all Audi e-drives from large-scale production and motorsport. And provides the driving proof: maximum dynamics and pure emotion can still be experienced with purely electric drivetrain technology from Audi.

“Consistent forward thinking and striving have been the basis for the success of Audi Sport GmbH for 40 years. Since 2012, we have more than doubled our vehicle range and currently offer the largest portfolio ever with 16 Audi Sport models. We will continue to redefine the individual mobility of tomorrow in the high-performance segment and continue to design it as a highly emotional experience with our high-performance models,” says Audi Sport GmbH Managing Director Sebastian Grams, emphasizing: “This also takes courage. The courage to look at things from completely different angles and, in doing so, to explore new avenues that inspire our loyal and also new customers around the world.”