Audi E-Tron S Possibly Spied Testing At The Nurburgring Again

We first spied a hotter version of the Audi E-Tron in May when our spy photographers caught the E-Tron S at the Nürburgring. We haven't seen it since then. However, a new video shows what appears to be the Audi E-Tron S again at the famous track. Further development only means we're getting closer to the electric SUV's debut.

There's a good chance the E-Tron in the video could be the hotter S version. The intakes that flank the front fascia are bigger than the ones on the standard E-Tron, though not by much. Larger and wider wheels plus a new rear diffuser design hint that this is sportier than the current offering. The E-Tron's electric powertrain doesn't need exhaust tips, which are an easy way to differentiate a sportier variant from its standard sibling.

If this is the E-Tron S, then we don't know much about it. The standard E-Tron makes up to 402 horsepower (300 kilowatts) and 490 pound-feet (Newton-meters) of torque in Boost Mode. The E-Tron S would surpass that, possibly making close to 500 hp (372 kW).

When Audi unveiled the original concept in 2015, the E-Tron had a 3-motor setup with two powering the rear axle and one powering the front. The E-Tron on sale today has two motors. This could be the 3-motor E-Tron. In concept form, the E-Tron made 496 hp, and, like the production model, also had a 95-kilowatt-hour battery.

One thing that will take time to get used to is the lack of an exhaust note. The E-Tron S in the video whooshes by the camera and all you can hear is wind. That disconnect will disappear as more EVs hit the road. While we're waiting for the E-Tron S, Audi will debut the E-Tron Sportback later this year. Then, in late 2020, Audi Sport will reveal the E-Tron GT, Audi's version of the all-electric Porsche Taycan.