Audi’s growing lineup offers a variety of performance vehicles. The RS3 is on the affordable end of the spectrum, while the high-tech, all-electric RS E-Tron GT is on the other. The Audi RS6 Avant is another pricey option with plenty of power, and the new Carwow video pits the three of them against each other in an uphill drag race down a slippery ski slope.
The RS E-Tron GT features a dual-motor setup that produces 646 horsepower (481 kilowatts) and 612 pound-feet (830 Nm) of torque. It’s the most powerful of the bunch, but also the heaviest at 5,169 pounds (2,345 kilograms). The RS3 is the lightest and least powerful of the three, drawing its power from a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five that develops 400 hp (298 kW) and 368 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. Power for the 3,461-lb (1,570 kg) wagon routes through a seven-speed gearbox to a Haldex all-wheel drive system.
Powering the RS6 Avant is Audi’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. It produces 600 hp (447 kW) and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm) of torque. Audi directs that power to the Quattro wagon’s all-wheel drive system via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Weighs 4,574 pounds (2,075 kg)
The E-Tron was launched from the start line first, spitting snow behind it as it clawed its way down the ski slope. The electric Audi had no trouble getting to the finish line, even gaining a bit of air on the first summit. The Audi RS3 and RS6 struggled in comparison, with the RS3 skidding as it left the starting line, putting it at a disadvantage alongside the RS6, which took second place, leaving the smallest Audi of the bunch to take third.
The rest of this video isn’t a drag race as it is testing the car’s all-wheel drive system. The E-Tron again impresses, navigating even the steepest sections of the indoor ski slope with great ease. Having a power unit on each axle that modulates power to the ground helps with traction.
The RS3 and RS6 weren’t so lucky. Both completed two-thirds of the final challenge, but both failed to climb the steepest and most challenging sections of the trail. Both Audi wagons were unable to stop power, fighting for traction at the most crucial moment, with their tires spinning.
The video isn’t a conclusive scientific study, but it seems to suggest that the E-Tron’s all-wheel-drive system is better than the Quattro system in the RS6, which outperforms the Haldex system in the RS3. EVs with electric motors on each axle (or on each wheel) change the traction game.
