From holographic smart displays to autonomous driving prototypes, cars are getting very advanced these days. So what car does Tony Stark, a.k.a., Iron Man, drive? Obviously, he’s a fictional character, but through the power of cross-promotion, Marvel Studios decided that Iron Man drives an Audi E-Tron GT. Here’s everything you need to know about Audi’s electric concept sedan and how it ties into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The debriefing 

While many fans who went to the theaters to watch Avengers: Endgame noticed that Stark pulled up in a fancy looking Audi, some fans didn’t know that Captain Marvel also got a taste of driving this high-tech and futuristic car. 

In a two-minute ad for Avengers: Endgame, an agent debriefs Captain Marvel on everything she’s missed out on after she left Earth in the ’90s, including how far cars have advanced. Captain Marvel, using her superhero powers, instantly charges up the E-Tron GT. She then goes for a test drive with the agent and with Goose, Captain Marvel’s cat.

While in reality the E-Tron GT can’t be instantly recharged, it can be supercharged at public charging stations in about 30 minutes according to Audi. Not quite superhero levels, but not bad.

The Audi in ‘Avengers: Endgame’

During Avengers: Endgame, Stark drove up to the Avenger’s facility in the E-Tron GT. Although the concept car’s cameo was brief, it was a very potent product placement as the movie went on to break box office records and become the highest-grossing film of all time. With millions of eyeballs on the E-Tron GT, Audi hopes that interest in its E-Tron line of electric cars will become a massive hit as well. 

The partnership

This actually isn’t the first time that Robert Downey Jr., the actor who plays Tony Stark and Iron Man, has driven an E-Tron GT before. In fact, Downey met with the design chief of Audi to talk about the E-Tron GT in late 2018 because Downey has always been interested in advanced technologies. During that meeting, Downey got a chance to test drive the E-Tron GT and he was extremely impressed by it. 

Although many automakers have teamed up with Marvel Studios to cross-promote its brands, Audi has been a part of Iron Man’s story since the beginning. For example, in 2008, when Iron Man premiered, Stark was driving an Audi R8. It’s poetic that over a decade later, Stark is driving the latest and greatest Audi available during Avengers: Endgame.

This cross-promotion extended further into real life too, as Downey drove up to the premiere of Avengers: Endgame in an E-Tron GT. Just like how the line between the actor and the character grows thinner by the day, so too is the line between science fiction and science fact growing thinner.

The Avengers’ Audi

The E-Tron GT is still a concept car and so, it’s not available for purchase yet. However, everything else is as real and impressive as the promotions make it seem. With a 590-hp engine and some advanced drivetrain technology, the E-Tron GT can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds and it can top out at 149 miles per hour. It also has a 250-mile range battery to compliment all of that speed and power.

Both the exterior and the interior of the E-Tron GT are also as futuristic as you’d expect a car that Iron Man owns to be. The great news is that price wise, you won’t have to be a billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist to afford an E-Tron GT.

Although its price hasn’t been unveiled yet, the Audi E-Tron SUV starts at about $75,000 and for both cars, you’ll be able to take advantage of federal tax credits for them. These tax credits should reduce the price of the cars significantly, thus allowing many people to drive like Iron Man.