After whatching the climb, one cannot help but to ask, how Audi did it. Luckly Germans has revealed all the secrets.

Recently (last week), Audi has published a very interesting video about their first-ever electric SUV, the e-tron. A car that has been through quite a lot during the test phase has now met probably its toughest opponent, the notorious downhill ski track in Kitzbühel or more accurately, its most known part, the Mousetrap jump.

 This part of the track is only 140 meters long, but what is so special about it is the 85 percent degree fall, so skiers, going above 100 kilometers per hour usually jump past it. Audi however took it in the other way and decided to climb it with an e-tron. Not an easy task even for 340-kilowatt SUV with three electric motors under the hood and in the back. Nevertheless, the have managed to conquer it, much thanks to the driver, Mattias Ekström.

It is understandable, that Audi did not let the car to go uphill fully stock. Instead, they have equipped it with a safety roll cage, racing seat with multipoint safe belt for the driver and finally yet importantly, special tires with few centimeters long nails that could grip into the slippery ice and snow. After all, this test was made only a few days after the race for World cup.

It was a wild guess whether the car is going to make it up the hill, after long weeks of testing, the cars, tires, motors, checking the surface (at this point even Axel Lund Svindal, Norwegian downhill racer came to help them), Audi has decided to equip the car with on more safety device – a metallic braid which with prevent the car from the hill if it would get stuck mid-climb.

Luckily, in the end, there was no need for any safety devices. Audi e-tron made the climb without skipping a beat and becoming probably the first car ever to do it. And if you have watched the climb in the video above, you should also whatch the one below, where Audi presented just how they pulled the stunt off.

Feb. 22, 2019 Driving photo: Audi

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