Audi is working an all-electric successor to its R8 supercar to be released around “mid-decade,” according to a new report from Autocar. While the new EV won’t carry the R8 name, it will hold the spot at the top of the Audi lineup with higher performance than the e-tron GT.
The electric R8 successor hasn’t received final approval yet, but development efforts are already in progress at Audi.
The current gas-powered R8 model is nearing the end of the line, expected to go out of production in 2023. Instead of replacing it with a gas car, Audi will transition to electric for its halo performance model. The company plans to stop introducing new gas models after 2025, so with a planned “mid-decade” launch for the R8 successor, it’s going to have to be electric anyway.
The current Audi e-tron GT RS is actually the most powerful Audi ever made, with 637 horsepower, more than the gas-powered R8. But it’s a four-door performance sedan, whereas the R8 is a dedicated sportscar.
So the R8 successor will be built as a pure sportscar as well – two doors, low roof, and lots of power. It will need to be better than the e-tron GT RS’ 637hp and 3.2 second 0-60 time, and with a large enough battery to enable heavy track use.
While we haven’t seen a name or a design concept yet, a few years back Audi did show the “PB 18 e-tron” concept car at Monterey Car Week which could lend some cues to the R8 successor.
Audi hasn’t committed to a particular platform to build the car on yet, but is likely to share some parts with Porsche, as is the case with the current e-tron GT, which shares a platform with the Taycan. The R8 successor could share parts with the upcoming electric Porsche Boxster and Cayman, though Audi would still plan to hand-build some elements of the car.
Source: electrec