German automaker Audi has announced that its flagship e-tron GT has won the ‘Most Beautiful Car of the Year’ award. Conducted at the Journalistenclub in Berlin’s Axel-Springer-Haus, Germany, the 45th Golden Steering Wheel awards took place on November 9th. Known as the Goldenes Lenkrad awards, the e-tron GT won the award thanks to votes submitted by people throughout the summer. These voters included readers from motoring magazine ‘Auto Bild’ and its counterparts in Europe along with newspaper ‘Bild am Sonntag’.
The Competition:
Barbara Schoneberger hosted the ceremonies of the awards while Markus Duesmann, CEO of Audi AG, received the renowned sculpture. The awards are not only the oldest but also the most prestigious automotive competitions in Germany since 1976. For the 2021 Golden Steering Wheel awards, a total of 70 new cars competed with each other across 12 categories. Since the competition is cross-category-based, readers can directly vote for the ‘Most Beautiful Car of the Year’. Therefore, the award proves its legitimacy by involving a real audience along with their heartfelt and emotional choice of car.
Audi’s present and future plansÂ
For Audi, the e-tron GT has proved itself as a benchmark and trailblazer for its future EV ventures. Audi has announced in the past that from the year 2026, it will only unveil and produce electric cars. The 2021 e-tron GT showcases an emotional design, dynamic performance, and a sustainable concept as Audi’s first electric sports car. Along with the ‘Golden Steering Wheel’ award, the e-tron GT has achieved numerous other prizes and awards for Audi.
Audi e-tron GT: Detailed HighlightsÂ
In September 2021, Audi launched the e-tron GT and the RS e-tron GT for the Indian market. With these launches, Audi has become the first OEM to introduce electric sports cars for India. Both cars are the 4th, and 5th EVs launched under the e-tron category, including Audi’s electric SUVs. The e-tron GT costs INR 1,79,90,000 (ex-showroom) whereas the RS e-tron GT costs INR 2,04,99,000 (ex-showroom).
Powering the standard e-tron GT is a 93.4 kWh battery pack that powers the 390 kW motor. This allows the car to achieve a 0-100 kph time of 4.1 seconds and offer a 388-500 km range. On the other hand, the RS e-tron GT sports an 83.7 kWh battery that powers a 475 kW motor. This enables the car to reach 100 kph from a standstill in a brisk 3.3 seconds.
Based on the WLTP testing, the RS e-tron GT offers a 401-481 Km range on a single charge. Audi offers both electric sports cars with chargers ranging from 22 kW AC to 220 kW DC charging. This enables the 800V electric architecture to support fast charging from 5-80% in 22 minutes.
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