JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

From its birthplace in Germany to the Austrian Alps and a lap record attempt in the UK, we push Audi's electrifying grand tourer to its limits

- by ADAM TOWLER

IT'S AN ODD FEELING, KNOWING YOUR FINAL destination for the day is some 200 miles to the left, yet at a fork in the road you turn right instead. Tonight we're due at a hotel nestled in the foothills of the Kaunertal Glacier in Austria, but for now, I must point the RS e-tron GT's sleek, restyled nose northwards from Heilbronn - a medium-sized city to the north of Stuttgart in Germany - to quite literally the place of its birth. This right-hand-drive example, built just weeks before our trip, must never have expected to see the glazed frontage of Audi Sport's Böllinger Höfe base so soon if ever again. Yet here we are, before the availability of breakfast, leaving our hotel's car park and setting the nav for the home of fast Audis.

As I adjust the RS e-tron GT's driving environment for my own comfort, I do so with the knowledge that it

will be my home for the best part of the next week, for we have quite the journey planned for our Progressive Red RS e-tron GT Performance Carbon Vorsprung Edition. After visiting Audi Sport we'll head to Austria on the basis of a hunch - more on which later and from there back to the UK, via the Nürburgring (sadly not on the circuit, which is closed for the winter) and then to our final destination of Thruxton racetrack in Hampshire to set a lap record for EVs. It'll be something of uncharted waters for evo, too: we've never really given an EV the big evo road trip treatment, and I'm wondering if charging it will drive us slightly mad over long distances. Only one way to find out...