RE: Electric Audi R8 Rumoured
Thursday 28th May 2009
Spider is coming, and maybe a hybridThe news is still unofficial, but the story comes from respected German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, whose well-connected reporters nurture generally reliable contacts in the German auto business.
Electric Audi R8 Rumoured
Audi sparks speculation around possible hybrid supercar
Audi will finally reveal its long-expected R8 Spider at the Frankfurt motorshow in September, alongside a definitely unexpected hybrid-electric version of the R8 coupe
Spider is coming, and maybe a hybrid
Unfortunately AMS offers no further details on a story that has the makings of a high-profile venture into the realms of alternative powertrains for Audi. It could be that the marque will propose a production hybrid model of the car, but it seems equally likely that an electric R8 could be Audi putting down a marker with a concept designed to indicate its future intentions. It is even possible that recent confirmation from Audi that it has canned a planned V12 diesel-powered version of the car left a gap in the company’s Frankfurt show floor plan that the new concept has been designed to fill!
Meanwhile the R8 Spider has been a less well-kept secret, with various ‘spy’ stories in the media predicting a removable targa roof and/or twin speedster-style humps. Either way, you will be reassured to learn the car should be available with either V8 or V10 petrol power, and is sure to be one of the Frankfurt show’s star turns.
Discussion
Mr Gear said:
I dunno why they dropped the diesel engine. They had a running demo model that they were showing journalists in California. It had a lot of kudos being associated with the LeMan cars, went well, and hit 40mpg.
+1 An economical usable real every day super car, maybe it was faster than the petrol cars thats why it got binned.
leon9191 said:
Mr Gear said:
I dunno why they dropped the diesel engine. They had a running demo model that they were showing journalists in California. It had a lot of kudos being associated with the LeMan cars, went well, and hit 40mpg.
+1 An economical usable real every day super car, maybe it was faster than the petrol cars thats why it got binned.
So why didn't they go V8 diesel? I think a bold move like that would have been rewarded with sales.
DJC said:
Mr Gear said:
I dunno why they dropped the diesel engine. They had a running demo model that they were showing journalists in California. It had a lot of kudos being associated with the LeMan cars, went well, and hit 40mpg.
It did? I thought it only hit 25mpg?NeutralFanboy said:
Meh why not eh. If they manage to pull off the tech in a convincing fashion it can filter down to the rest of the range. Then we move onto the whole "where's the electricity gonna come from?" debate.
Noone has mentioned the electric car yet in this thread! I think that everything that needs to be said about electric supercars has now been said. I'm in favour, but there are not enough details in the article to be able to draw any further comment or conclusions.odyssey2200 said:
Never gonna happen.
Move along, nothing to see here, move along.
Indeed, bunch of bMove along, nothing to see here, move along.
ks.Let it run its course, and have it die out with dignity. Anyone who promotes diesel, or electricity, or anything other than petrol in supercar should be shot. It's never been about the speed, the handling, the mpg, or anything else. It's all about the looks and the sounds; the two things that make you shiver when you walk out to it and fire her up.
PunterCam said:
odyssey2200 said:
Never gonna happen.
Move along, nothing to see here, move along.
Indeed, bunch of bMove along, nothing to see here, move along.
ks.Let it run its course, and have it die out with dignity. Anyone who promotes diesel, or electricity, or anything other than petrol in supercar should be shot. It's never been about the speed, the handling, the mpg, or anything else. It's all about the looks and the sounds; the two things that make you shiver when you walk out to it and fire her up.
Mr Gear said:
PunterCam said:
odyssey2200 said:
Never gonna happen.
Move along, nothing to see here, move along.
Indeed, bunch of bMove along, nothing to see here, move along.
ks.Let it run its course, and have it die out with dignity. Anyone who promotes diesel, or electricity, or anything other than petrol in supercar should be shot. It's never been about the speed, the handling, the mpg, or anything else. It's all about the looks and the sounds; the two things that make you shiver when you walk out to it and fire her up.
Mr Gear said:
leon9191 said:
Mr Gear said:
I dunno why they dropped the diesel engine. They had a running demo model that they were showing journalists in California. It had a lot of kudos being associated with the LeMan cars, went well, and hit 40mpg.
+1 An economical usable real every day super car, maybe it was faster than the petrol cars thats why it got binned.
So why didn't they go V8 diesel? I think a bold move like that would have been rewarded with sales.
I've driven that A8 4.2 TDI when it came out and although it was fast there was something missing. That something is called 'fun'.
Besides, putting that 4.2 diesel in would probably give you auto version only which is kind of ok for a GT car but a supercar? Nah.
Bladedancer said:
Frankly, diesels and super cars don't match. They just don't. What fun is there in having barely 4k RPM to play with? Surely if you can afford 80k car you can afford a few quid more on the fuel? Lets not get sucked into that eco madness thats going around lately.
I've driven that A8 4.2 TDI when it came out and although it was fast there was something missing. That something is called 'fun'.
Besides, putting that 4.2 diesel in would probably give you auto version only which is kind of ok for a GT car but a supercar? Nah.
Undoubtedly Audi COULD get it badly wrong, but I certainly wouldn't dismiss a diesel out of hand, and it's got nothing to do with environmental reasons either. You get a decent powerband and plenty of shove with diesel these days, and it has more energy per volume than petrol, so the potential to exploit it in a high tech engine is there, as proven by the Le Mans cars, and VAG diesel touring cars.I've driven that A8 4.2 TDI when it came out and although it was fast there was something missing. That something is called 'fun'.
Besides, putting that 4.2 diesel in would probably give you auto version only which is kind of ok for a GT car but a supercar? Nah.
EDIT: And I'm not interested in providing a definition for "supercar" either. You get some people whining that they shouldn't have 4WD, front engines, diesel, this, that the other. It really doesn't matter. A supercar speaks for itself.
Edited by Mr Gear on Friday 29th May 11:45
Mr Gear said:
Bladedancer said:
Frankly, diesels and super cars don't match. They just don't. What fun is there in having barely 4k RPM to play with? Surely if you can afford 80k car you can afford a few quid more on the fuel? Lets not get sucked into that eco madness thats going around lately.
I've driven that A8 4.2 TDI when it came out and although it was fast there was something missing. That something is called 'fun'.
Besides, putting that 4.2 diesel in would probably give you auto version only which is kind of ok for a GT car but a supercar? Nah.
Undoubtedly Audi COULD get it badly wrong, but I certainly wouldn't dismiss a diesel out of hand, and it's got nothing to do with environmental reasons either. You get a decent powerband and plenty of shove with diesel these days, and it has more energy per volume than petrol, so the potential to exploit it in a high tech engine is there, as proven by the Le Mans cars, and VAG diesel touring cars.I've driven that A8 4.2 TDI when it came out and although it was fast there was something missing. That something is called 'fun'.
Besides, putting that 4.2 diesel in would probably give you auto version only which is kind of ok for a GT car but a supercar? Nah.
EDIT: And I'm not interested in providing a definition for "supercar" either. You get some people whining that they shouldn't have 4WD, front engines, diesel, this, that the other. It really doesn't matter. A supercar speaks for itself.
Edited by Mr Gear on Friday 29th May 11:45
The thing is that although diesels have improved vastly in the last 10 years even today you still get effective 1500-4500RPM power range and usually there's a sharp drop after 4K RPM.
That is why I said that good diesel might suit a GT as it's more about crusing down the riviera than doing laps round silverstone. Anyways, that's just my opinion.
I simply wouldn't buy a diesel super car because it wouldn't be as much fun as a petrol.
Streetrod said:
Mr Gear said:
PunterCam said:
odyssey2200 said:
Never gonna happen.
Move along, nothing to see here, move along.
Indeed, bunch of bMove along, nothing to see here, move along.
ks.Let it run its course, and have it die out with dignity. Anyone who promotes diesel, or electricity, or anything other than petrol in supercar should be shot. It's never been about the speed, the handling, the mpg, or anything else. It's all about the looks and the sounds; the two things that make you shiver when you walk out to it and fire her up.
however an electric R8 will never happen!
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