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2022 Audi E-Tron GT brings the heat, then gets rid of it

The reveal of the production version of the 2022 Audi RS E-Tron GT electric grand tourer is set for early 2021, but Audi on Thursday revealed more of what makes the Porsche Taycan-based 4-door coupe tick. Specifically, Audi shared information on the car’s suspension and thermal management system.

The E-Tron GT rides the same J1 platform as the Porsche Taycan and is very similar underneath. The cars were developed together and tuning was done by each company. Like the Taycan, the E-Tron GT will use a three-chamber air suspension and adjustable, adaptive dampers at each corner. However, Audi’s RS division tuned the suspension to make the car feel like an Audi, with soft Comfort mode settings and firmer Dynamic settings.

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype suspension and electric drive units

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype suspension

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype three-chamber air suspension

The air suspension will also be able to raise and lower the car. From its normal ride height, the suspension will drop 0.4 inch in Dynamic mode, and 0.87 inch in Efficiency mode. The car will also raise 0.8 inch in Comfort mode.

Audi will also outfit the E-Tron GT with rear-axle steering that will make the car turn sharper at speeds less than 31-37 mph, depending on the driving mode, by turning the rear wheels up to 3 degrees opposite of the fronts. At higher speeds, the rear wheels will turn with the fronts to improve stability.

Buyers will have a choice of three wheel sizes. The 19s will be the lightest wheels at 27.5 pounds each, 20s will be the most aerodynamic, and the 21s (shown on the prototype model pictured here) may be the most attractive.

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype

The wheels will hide three types of brakes. Carbon-ceramic brakes with 10-piston front calipers will provide the most stopping power. Tungsten-carbide coated brakes will also be offered. These are essentially Porsche’s PSCB brakes with a thin layer of tungsten-carbide coating that reduces brake dust and prolongs brake life. Standard iron brakes will serve as the base setup.

Audi has talked about the motors and performance of the car when it debuted as a concept at the 2018 LA Auto Show, but the company also shared more information. The E-Tron GT will come with a 235-horsepower front motor and a 449-hp rear motor that will combine to produce 590 hp and up to 640 hp in an overboost mode. The front motor will have its own single-speed transmission and the rear motor will have a 2-speed gearbox.

We previously reported that the E-Tron GT will be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, but now we know it could be slightly quicker than that as Audi quoted the same time for the 0-62 mph run. The 0-60 mph time could be a tenth or two quicker.

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype electric all-wheel drive

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype electric motor cooling

2022 Audi E-Tron GT prototype lithium-ion battery

That high power delivery—and the E-Tron GT’s high-power fast charging—will demand a lot of cooling. Liquid cooling will make performance repeatable and precondition the 83.7-kwh (net) battery for fast charging.

The battery will be made up of 396 pouch cells in 33 modules and sit within the E-Tron GT’s flat skateboard-style platform. Four liquid cooling circuits will be connected by valves. One circuit will be dedicated to the high-voltage battery, and another will handle the electric motors and power electronics. Another system will condition the interior.

Audi previously said the E-Tron GT will be able to fast charge at up to 350 kw. Now, following what’s permitted so far for the Porsche Taycan, Audi says it will take a fast charge as high as 270 kw, which is still quite fast. The cooling system will come into play for charging as well as it will condition the battery to handle that type of charge. In fact, if the driver programs in a fast-charging destination, the system will pre-condition the battery starting a half hour before arrival.

The E-Tron GT will be part of Audi’s planned 30 electric and plug-in vehicles on offer by 2025. The company also said it will be part of a three-pillar strategy for Audi RS, which will consist of emotional electric cars, emotional internal-combustion-engine cars, and performance plug-in hybrids.

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November 5, 2020
Original Land Rover Defender lives on as Bowler performance SUV

Many would have lamented Land Rover’s 2016 decision to end production of the original Defender after a run spanning more than three decades.

It’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed at Land Rover which started selling a redesigned Defender this year. To appease fans of the original Defender, Land Rover will get Bowler to build new off-roaders using the original Defender’s iconic shape, specifically the four-door Defender 110’s shape.

Bowler is a fellow British firm that specializes in building high-performance, rally raid-style SUVs. It’s worked closely with Land Rover for decades and in 2019 was finally brought into the Jaguar Land Rover fold as part of the automaker’s Special Vehicles Operations.

Bowler’s Defender will be very different from the original. For instance, the company will use its own rigid platform known as the CSP (Cross Sector Platform). The patented platform provides for common electrical architecture, powertrains and drivetrains to be applied, and can accommodate a 6×6 configuration. Vehicles based on the platform typically use off-the-shelf items to ensure spares and service items are readily available from established OEMs and their dealer networks across the globe.

Bowler will also pack its Defender with a 567-horsepower version of Jaguar Land Rover’s familiar 5.0-liter supercharged V-8, which should see the SUV sprint to 60 mph from rest in around four seconds. Other features will include four body-hugging sports seats, a roll cage, and comfort features such as air conditioning.

Order books are now open ahead of limited production starting in 2021. The estimated starting price for one is 200,000 British pounds (approximately $258,695).

Bowler has built up an impressive array of vehicles based on its CSP platform, for both road and race applications. And soon it will have V-8-powered Defenders to strengthen its image. We can’t wait.

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November 4, 2020
2021 Jeep Gladiator Willys adds off-road hardware to lower trim levels

The 2021 Jeep Gladiator pickup truck gets a new model that dives into the brand’s past, Jeep announced on Friday. Available in combination with the Sport and Sport S trim levels, the new Gladiator Willys adds more off-road hardware to those lower-tier models.

Jeep has offered a Wrangler Willys, but 2021 is the first model year that the related Gladiator pickup gets that treatment. The Gladiator Willys adds a limited-slip differential, Rubicon rock rails and shocks, and 32-inch BFGoodrich KM2 mud-terrain tires. Willys models also get standard Command-Trac four-wheel drive with a 2-speed transfer case and a 2.72:1 low range.

Exterior changes include a Willys hood decal, a retro “4WD” tailgate decal, model-specific black 17-inch wheels, and a gloss-black grille. Available colors include Granite Crystal, Sting Gray, Billet, Firecracker Red, Hydro Blue, Snazzberry, black, and white.

2021 Jeep Gladiator Willys

Sport S-based Willys models come standard with the Technology Group, including a 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, automatic climate control, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. They also get the Convenience Group, which adds a universal garage-door opener.

Gladiator powertrains include a 3.6-liter V-6, which makes 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6, which is rated at 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. The gasoline engine comes standard with a 6-speed manual transmission, while an 8-speed automatic is optional. The diesel is only available with the automatic.

The 2021 Jeep Gladiator Willys starts at $36,760 (including a mandatory $1,495 destination charge) and is available now. The Gladiator debuted as a 2020 model, but Jeep is quickly building out the lineup. It added the Gladiator Mojave later in the 2020 model year, and is launching an 80th Anniversary Edition alongside the Willys model for 2021.

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November 2, 2020