Audi made a real version of the all-electric ‘e-tron Vision Gran Turismo’ for the Formula E race taxi

Audi originally designed the ‘e-tron Vision Gran Turismo’ as a virtual car for the ‘Gran Turismo’ video game on PlayStation 4, but the German automaker announced today that it made a real version of the all-electric race car to act as a race taxi for upcoming Formula E races.

Peter Mertens, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Audi, made the announcement today:

E-Mobility is rapidly gaining importance. That is why in 2017 Audi was the first German manufacturer to enter Formula E with a factory-backed commitment. In our development laboratory motorsport, we are continuously expanding our expertise in e-mobility and gathering valuable experience also in extremely demanding conditions. With the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo race taxi we are turning electric mobility into a tangible experience for our customers and guests as part of the Formula E races – in the middle of the world’s metropolises.

The car was originally developed with Sony and Polyphony Digital as a virtual car for Gran Turismo’s 15th anniversary:

Over the last eleven months, engineers at Audi’s pre-production center developed and produced a real-life version of the vehicle using the automaker’s e-tron electric powertrain technology.

Audi describes the powertrain:

Three electric motors, each with output of 200 kW, propel the concept car. Two electric motors drive the rear axle and the third one the front axle, using individual components from the future Audi e-tron. System output is 600 kW (815 hp). With a curb weight of 1,450 kilograms the electric race car has a power to weight ratio of 1.78 kilo­grams per horsepower with ideal 50:50 percent weight distribution between the front and the rear axle. The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2.5 seconds.

They didn’t confirm the range of the vehicle, but the emphasis is clearly on power here and the range is not really an issue considering the application.

It comes just as Audi is about to launch the e-tron quattro SUV, which also has 3 electric motors but with a total output of 320 kW.

The ‘e-tron Vision Gran Turismo’ is going to debut at the Formula E’s next race in Rome on Saturday, April 14 and some customers and guests of the brand will even be able to ride in the car.