Now that that 2025 Porsche Taycan is out offering a larger battery and four-figure horsepower, and a trick suspension, and the capability to set lap records at famous tracks, the sibling Audi E-Tron waits in the wings to take the stage. Based on reviews of an early prototype, Audi engineers ladled in more performance and then finessed the delivery of that performance. More powerful motors are going to deliver more horsepower, the final figure's up for debate; Autocar believes 700 hp is the likely tally, Car magazine thinks 800 hp is the real number — both of those requiring the car's Boost function to hit. Either would make an impact compared to the 523 hp in the E-Tron GT and 637 hp in the RS E-Tron GT. Based on reports that Audi will add the word "Performance" to the model name, 800 hp seems a more worthy figure. The Taycan Turbo, after all, got a raise from 616 hp to 871 hp.
We're told the new bigger battery carries over, which would up the E-Tron GT's 93-kilowatt-hour unit to the 105-kWh pack in the Taycan Turbo trims. When not pushing every watt of charge through the new motors, the pack will give the grand tourer longer legs than the current EPA-rated 249 miles. Fast-charging performance will improve as well, the maximum charging rate likely to rise from 270 kW to 320 kW.
The main event in the handling column is the new active suspension with a Curve Tilting Function. Akin to the Active Ride Control that Mercedes-AMG has built into its latest supercars, the VW Group suspension bestows independent hydraulic control at each corner. Unlike the AMG version, the Porsche and Audi variant is fully active, not semi-active, in that it can raise the vehicle to a level aspect — this is what the new Curve Tilting Function is tasked with doing. Lifting the vehicle when parked is also part of the job description, enabling an access mode for easier ingress and egress. The Curve Tilting Function works in Comfort mode, not Dynamic, when visceral driving sensations can help drivers make better judgements at speed.
As for cosmetic changes, Audi might have outdone itself for subtlety, which is saying something. The RS prototype's much larger front side intakes are the easy spot. After that, we can see the grille panel wears a more pronounced hexagon pattern, and there's a new rear diffuser design. We'll have to wait for the official word to pick out the rest, but that word shouldn't be far away now that the camo teasers have commenced.
