Audi R8 e-tron 2014-2015 review

Squeeze the e-tron's throttle and, instantaneously, the electric motors spool and propel it forwards at a seemingly relentless rate. The throttle has a natural-feeling and linear response, impressive for an electric vehicle, while the braking system delivers barely perceptible transitions between regenerative and physical braking; there’s a phenomenal amount of stopping power on offer and engine braking can be simulated using the adjustable regeneration controls via the wheel-mounted paddles.

There’s a satisfying amount of feedback from the steering, assisted by being able to more easily hear what the tyres are doing, and the R8 corners in a flat fashion. Remarkably, it conceals its bulk well – 577kg of which is the battery – and never feels unwieldy or liable to break away unexpectedly. The ride quality is firm, predictably, but comfortable.

Audi’s torque vectoring system makes itself apparent in tighter, faster corners. As you perceive the car’s front end to be reaching the limit of adhesion, you’ll find that the nose tucks in hard and continues to travel in the desired direction. It’s a peculiar sensation but one that’s particularly gratifying, as you can feel the rear wheels being individually braked and accelerated to help maintain the desired line.

Because the artificially generated sound rises in pitch and volume with the road speed, and because the throttle operates in an intuitive fashion, it's easy to judge your control inputs. Making swift progress in the R8 e-tron feels delightfully natural as a result, and you very quickly forget that it's lacking an internal combustion engine.

As you’d expect, there’s plenty of grip and traction on offer but, with adjustable drive modes and stability control, the e-tron is more than happy to step its tail sideways. It’s thoroughly good fun yet it feels safe, controllable and quick – all while making its own unique noise. As with many high-performance Audis, it’s also effortlessly capable of flattering your own driving.

Equally satisfying is the depth of engineering in the R8 e-tron. Take, for example, the flaps in the apertures of the wheels. At speeds over 31mph they are forced closed, reducing the e-tron’s coefficient of drag by 0.02Cd. Drop below that speed and they open again, allowing more air to flow over the carbon-ceramic disc brakes.

The true benefit to the Audi R8 e-tron's acceleration and range capabilities is marginal at best, but it demonstrates the lengths that Audi is willing to go to in order to eke every ounce of performance and efficiency out of a car.

Despite having a claimed optimum range of 133.6 miles, and an acceptable charging time of less than one hour from a dedicated point, Audi was initially not happy with the limitations of the prototype that were enforced by its batteries.