1,183 HP Audi RS3 EV Previews the Future of Performance
German automotive supplier Schaeffler has converted an Audi RS3 TCR into a ridiculously powerful EV capable of accelerating from 0-124 mph in under seven seconds.
The creation, called the Schaeffler 4ePerformance, features four 295-hp Formula E motors that make a combined output of 1,182 hp. Each wheel receives its own dedicated motor, however, and each axle has its own a gearbox housing, giving the vehicle two electric twin axles. This allows for torque vectoring all-wheel drive, enabling the software to send the ideal amount of torque to each wheel at exactly the right time. It features two lithium-ion batteries with a combined capacity of 64 kWh.
SEE ALSO: 2018 Audi RS3 Sedan Video, First Look
“For Schaeffler, this vehicle is a test laboratory on wheels thanks to its free scaling options for the drive power. We are currently testing and developing our own driving dynamics control system, which is based on physical vehicle and wheel modeling,” said motorsports director at Schaeffler, Simon Opel. “We have been learning a lot especially in the area of software-based driving dynamics control systems.”
Schaeffler claims the 4ePerformance will accelerate from 0-124 mph (200 km/h) in under seven seconds. It didn’t provide an estimate for its 0-60 mph time, but something in the two-second range is not out of the question. More important than its acceleration is its on-track ability, and thanks to the torque vectoring system, the 4ePerformance should prove to be quite handy around a circuit once all the development and tuning work is complete.
You can watch ABT Schaeffler Formula E driver Lucas di Grassi sample the 4ePeformance in the video embedded below.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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