E-TRON, ELECTRIC LANGUAGE: The Frankfurt sports coupe

摘要

You could imagine a future without pistons and cylinders, but not one without a sports coupé in true Audi style. Keeping hope alive for tomorrow is the E-tron, the concept unveiled at this year's Frankfurt show by the four-ringed marque, which begins its second century of existence with a car that looks decidedly forward. With its typical mid-engined sports car architecture, at first glance you would never guess that the powerplant of this seductive coupé has been replaced by an electric motor and a battery pack. Looking closer, however, there are many clear signs of what lurks underneath, as Wolfgang Egger notes: "Once we had decided to dedicate a car to electric drive, we wanted to convey this specificity as clearly as possible. A sports car is the ideal choice, as electric drive offers exceptional acceleration and torque. Obviously, the air intakes now serve different needs. The side intakes, for instance, only open when more cooling air is needed for the batteries."