Audi E-Tron GT Concept Showcased, Nearly Production-ready

Ahead of Los Angeles auto show debut, Audi E-Tron GT concept had a private debut with celebrity fanfare.

Last night, we got to check out the Audi E-Tron GT Concept in fully undisguised form at a private event held at the trendy Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. Actor Robert Downey Jr. was on hand to help with the private debut of the all-electric sport sedan and those invited were among the first person in the world to see the E-Tron GT Concept.

However, we aren’t allowed to show you the pictures of the completely undisguised Audi E-Tron GT Concept, but we can show you the images here. As you can see, this is the new electric sport sedan and while it is technically not covered in anything, the wild vinyl graphics do an incredible job of hiding the detailed lines of the body. This allows the German automaker to show off the car while still keeping something back for the debut tomorrow, but the simple camo gives us enough of a look to really be excited about the formal introduction.

Familiar Shape

As you can see in our live images from the private event, the camouflaged Audi E-Tron GT Concept has an overall form that is very similar to that of the A7 lineup. Up front there is a long, wide and flat hood that leads to a swiftly-sloping windshield and beyond that is a roofline that gradually flows all of the way to the rear end. This fastback sedan look has been popular on other Audi models, as no company has brought the shape to production quite as well.

Up front, it is hard to tell what is graphics and what is actual body sculpting, but it looks as though E-Tron GT will have a fairly solid front end without going with the unnatural, all-smooth look of some other electric vehicles. There is just enough grille to look like a “normal car” while still offering great aerodynamics.

Along the side, this camouflaged concept has some wicked wheels that we hope make it to production and the E-Tron name is spelled out in the unique graphics. Both the headlights and the taillights are LED-based and very high tech, and we really hope that the production car has similar lights, as they look awesome.

Possible Three-Motor Power

With the Audi E-Tron GT being similar in its overall form to the Porsche Mission E/Taycan, it was expected that the two would share a chassis and possibly a drivetrain configuration. However, it rumors suggest the Audi has been working on a three-motor setup that would have two motors at the rear axle and one at the front while the Porsche has one motor at each axle.

Should those three-motor rumors be true, the Audi E-Tron GT could offer more power and better performance along with a more-distinct rear-drive feel than the Porsche.

The Audi E-Tron GT Concept is scheduled to make its grand debut tomorrow on the opening day of the 2018 Los Angeles International Auto Show, at which point the speculation of the all-electric sports sedan should come to an end.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com