Our spy photographers have spotted the new Audi e-tron GT undergoing handling assessment at the Nurburgring ahead of its official launch date later this year. When it goes on sale, the e-tron GT will join a growing marketplace of pure-electric flagship saloons, acting as a rival for the Tesla Model S and Mercedes EQS. This Audi e-tron GT test mule is still clad in heavy camouflage – but we can make out some of its styling features. The finished product is expected to look almost identical to the concept model from the 2018 Los Angeles Motor Show, with only a handful of tweaks to help it meet current safety regulations. So, the front grille looks a little narrower than the concept’s, while its touch sensitive door openers will be replaced by conventional handles. The show car’s centre locking wheels will also be swapped for more user-friendly five-bolt units – but Audi has confirmed that, like the concept, the finished car will feature 22-inch alloys. We expect the e-tron GT will be similar in length and width to the A7 Sportback – but it should be roughly 1,370mm tall. This will make it a full 50mm lower than the A7, despite the fact that it stores a battery pack on the floor of the platform.

This latest mule also shows the car’s retractable rear spoiler in its raised position – but this can be retracted to reduce drag, and therefore range, in low stress situations like motorway cruising. The active wing will work alongside a sleek underbody aero setup, which will be more efficient than any of Audi’s combustion cars due to the lack of an exhaust system. The production model e-tron GT will be based heavily on the Porsche Taycan, with the former sharing around 60 percent of the latter’s componentry. The bulk of this parts-sharing will be found in the two cars’ powertrains – Audi could easily adopt the Taycan’s twin-motor setup, which would provide the e-tron GT with an output of between 523bhp and 751bhp. Sending drive to all four wheels, Audi expects the e-tron GT to accelerate from 0–62mph in around 3.5 seconds. A unique software configuration – along with Porsche’s fastidious approach to reliability – will also allow it to achieve such figures repeatedly, even when the battery isn’t fully charged. 37 Porsche’s 96kWh battery pack should also be carried onto the e-tron GT, meaning the saloon should be able to achieve an 80 percent charge in just 15–20 minutes, when plugged into a DC fast-charger. A one pedal driving function will also likely be available, thanks to a configurable regenerative braking system.