Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Just skidding
Driving two kinds of cars, in sub-zero temperatures, over a frozen field in Austria, isn’t foolhardy. It’s one for the bucket list
Sub-zero temperatures are not what us tropical folks are used to, but for what I was about to do in the Austrian Tyrol, it couldn’t be been any warmer. Or more breathtaking. On a frozen field surrounded by rugged Alpine mountains, I was all set to drive a pair of Audis on ice. Hence -7 degrees that day was just fine to keep the ice from melting.
The Audi Ice Experience is one for the bucket list. Audi, for whom selling cars is not enough, also provides unusual experiences. Their two-day ice-driving programme is set in a beautiful and unspoiled winter wonderland near Seefeld in Austria.
I have the Audi RS e-tron GT and the Audi RS 5 to play with for the day. The RS e-tron GT is Audi’s fastest and most powerful EV. The RS 5, with its delectable 3-litre V6 petrol motor, holds up the flag for good old internal combustion. Both cars come with Audi’s legendary Quattro system or four-wheel-drive, which we will certainly need. Cones are neatly laid out on the ice to demarcate multiple courses. They’re the only thing you can really hit on this wide, long, flat ice field. There’s plenty of room for mistakes.
Piece of cake, then? That’s what I think until I step out onto the ice. It’s slippery to walk on. What must it be like to drive on?
An icy surface has about as much grip as a bar of soap on a wet bathroom floor. So its best to start gently, very gently. The first exercise is a simple and slow slalom run in the RS e-tron GT, with the traction control on to get a feel of the grip levels, which are very low. Even a small squirt of the accelerator pedal makes the RS e-tron GT slither and squirm, the traction control light furiously blinking away to show its doing its job.
So what’s it like with the traction completely off, then? That’s the next step. With no electronic nannies to protect you, it’s all down to how you balance the power, brakes and steering to find the smoothest and fastest way through the courses.
There are a couple of things you need to know about driving on ice. Firstly, grip is much more important than power, and within the first 100 metres, this becomes pretty clear. Secondly, weight transfer is key to smoothly turning the car without losing control. This involves abruptly lifting off the accelerator pedal and turning the wheel. This chucks the weight to the nose so the front tyres dig into the ice, while the rears gently lose grip and neatly bring the tail out.
Once you get the hang of it, it’s incredibly fun. You’re drifting with such ease and flicking a big, heavy but well-balanced RS e-tron GT like a switchblade through a slalom with only a soft, snowy ridge on the side to worry about.
The highlight was the drift course. With the fabulously balanced and nimble Audi RS5, it was possible to pivot the car on its front wheels and hold lurid power slides like a drift champ at a little over jogging speeds.
That really sums up what driving on ice is all about. Because grip is so low, you can explore the limits of an Audi super car at speeds that are hilariously low. The only thing to worry about is the cold.
