Chris Harris Compares Audi RS E-Tron GT To BMW M5 CS On Track

He finds the RS E-Tron to be even more fun around a track than a comparable Porsche Taycan.

top gear e-tron m5

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

May 25, 2021 at 9:03am ET

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Can electric performance cars be as exciting as sporty gas-burning vehicles? According to Top Gear’s Chris Harris, the answer is no, but models like the Audi RS E-Tron GT get pretty close and you can still have plenty of fun around a track in one - Harris even says the hottest E-Tron GT is even more tail happy and fun than the Porsche Taycan it’s closely related to.

The Audi RS E-Tron GT is comparable in terms of performance with the Porsche Taycan Turbo, with 590 horsepower (or briefly 637 horsepower thanks to an Overboost function) and 830 Nm (612 pound-feet). It sprints to sixty in 3.1 seconds and has a 250 km/h (155 mph) top speed.

Those power, torque and acceleration numbers make it a great match for what is widely acknowledged to be the best midsize super sedan, the BMW M5 CS. Its 4.4-liter V8 makes 627 horsepower, while peak torque comes in at 750 Nm (553 pound-feet), and thanks to all-wheel drive, it sprints around two tenths quicker than the electric Audi.

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Harris argues that even though the Audi is definitely comparable in terms of straight line performance, and even crazy tail-out action around the corners, he’d still have the BMW just because it’s a dying breed and soon you won’t be able to buy such cars new. But the main takeaway from this is that even though the E-Tron is not quite as fun around a track, it’s definitely comparable both in terms of performance and enjoyment levels with the mighty M5 CS.

There's a strong chance that the current M5's replacement will be a plug-in hybrid, and the vehicle after that will be fully electric, if trends continue along the same path as today.