Audi E-tron GT vrooms from big screen to showroom

The fictional Tony Stark may have died, but the car he drove in the biggest movie in global history — 2019's Avengers: Endgame — will be available for the first time off the screen when it finally arrives at Audi dealerships this summer.

The production version of the 2022 Audi E-tron GT — a low-slung, Porsche-derived four-door electric vehicle — will arrive after going on sale this spring in Europe. An upgraded sibling version, the RS E-tron GT, will also be available.

Built in Germany in the same plant and on the same assembly line as the Audi R8 supercar, the E-tron GT will feature net 86-kilowatt-hour battery packs used to power twin electric motors with combined output of either 350 kilowatts or 440 kW, depending on configuration.

Audi says the E-tron GT has a top speed in excess of 155 mph — 250 km/h — and can charge to a range of more than 60 miles, or 90 kilometres, in as little as five minutes, depending on the charger.

Audi on Tuesday released specs for e-tron GT:

• 469 net SAE combined hp, or 522 hp with overboost
• 464 lb-ft torque, or 472 lb-ft with overboost
• 238 estimated mile range
• 5,060 lbs. curb weight

RS e-tron GT specs:

• 590 SAE combined hp, or 637 hp with overboost
• 612 lb-ft torque, the same with overboost
• 232 estimated mile range
• 5,139 lbs. curb weight

Audi unveiled the concept version of the E-tron GT at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, and brought in actor Robert Downey Jr. — who played "genius billionaire playboy philanthropist" Tony Stark and Iron Man in the multibillion-dollar Marvel Comic Universe movies — to introduce the vehicle. The E-tron GT was featured prominently in the film.

Built on the same platform as the Porsche Taycan, the E-tron GT is Audi's third EV to make it to the U.S. and Canadian markets, following the E-tron compact crossover and the E-tron sportback. The five-seater is aerodynamically slippery, with a drag coefficient of just 0.24 and equipped with an automated rear spoiler, with low-slug seating and riding on wheels measuring up to 21 inches, depending on the configuration.

Inside, the Audi E-tron GT comes standard with the brand's top-level infotainment system and Audi pre-sense driver-assist package, as well as optional remote park assist. The instrument cluster is digital and resides on a 12.3-inch screen, while the infotainment system has its own 10.1-inch touch screen. An Audi phone box — which augments the cellphone's antenna with the vehicle's when the phone is charging wirelessly — and a premium Bang & Olufsen sound system are optional.

Canadian pricing has not been announced.

Pricing for the 2022 Audi E-tron GT in the United States starts at US$99,900, excluding delivery which has not yet been finalized by Audi of America for 2022 model year cars. Pricing for the RS E-tron GT south of the border will start at US$139,900, also excluding delivery, Audi said.