Driving an Audi e-tron electric car

A journalist takes to the wheel of the Audi e-tron electric car.

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By Chris Woodyard/Drive On

As this holiday season proves again, sometimes packaging is as important as the gift itself. That's how it is with the Audi e-tron -- an all-wheel-drive, all-electric, high-end sports car.

Though a concept for the moment, Audi is talking as if e-tron will become a production model by the end of 2012 that could sell for around $200,000. Styling, for the moment, is much like the R8 sports car without the carbon-fiber panels.

Audi e-tron goes through its paces with a California Highway Patrol cruiser bringing up the rear -- and ignoring speeding violations.

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By Chris Woodyard/Drive On

The packaging is the car's amazing looks and gimmicks -- from wind scoops that automatically open when the car needs cooling, sensor-activated door handles and the high-tech headlights. The gift is its performance -- zero to 60 miles per hour in less than 4.7 seconds and a torque curve that never seems to let up. Here's how we know:

A little background. Drive On was invited to a remote section of stretch of ocean-view highway north of Los Angeles to give the e-tron a try. Audi has set up a little encampment in a parking lot north of Malibu where the red car is kept in a shelter, tended to by a clean-diesel generator to keep its batteries refreshed through multiple test drives. Several highway patrol officers were hired to block traffic and for pace car duty. Pretty fancy set up.