Audi sold fewer than 100 R8 E-Tron units, deciding to end production of the €1-million electric supercar after only one year. Needless to say, the Four Rings are hoping the already confirmed all-electric successor to today's naturally aspirated V10 machine will perform better when it arrives in the following years. In a new report, Autocar has it on good authority the EV is currently in development and will be out by the middle of the decade.
Citing sources from within Ingolstadt, the British magazine claims the R8 replacement will go by another name while staying true to the two-door performance coupe formula. It's apparently going to be the most powerful Audi ever and feature an assortment of hand-built components. Production is set to take place at the same facility in Böllinger Höfe, Germany where the gasoline-fueled supercar is currently being assembled. The ICE model is rumored to bow out at the end of 2023, but not before a hardcore rear-wheel-drive special edition.
2015 Audi R8 e-tron
There are two plausible scenarios regarding the platform it will use and both are related to Porsche. It could either be the SSP Sport architecture that will underpin the next-gen Taycan and E-Tron GT or a new sports car platform being worked on for the electric successors to today's 718 Boxster and Cayman duo. Whatever underpinnings it will use, the R8's electric replacement will have to be quicker and more powerful than the E-Tron GT, which packs 637 hp for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.3 seconds.
Audi Sport boss Sebastian Grams told Autocar that while an R8 successor is a priority, the smaller and more affordable TT sports car won't be neglected either: "We are working on that." A future Tourist Trophy would also rock down to electric avenue since the luxury brand has already announced all new product launches from 2026 won't have a combustion engine.
While the R8 prepares for an electric future, its sister model will retain a combustion engine for one more generation. Lamborghini has confirmed the Huracan successor is going to have an ICE with more than six cylinders as part of a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The baby Lambo is likely due in 2024 since next year will be all about the Aventador’s replacement.
