Porsche’s decision for putting the baby Boxster on hold because the current generation may not be ready for it may just have started a domino effect for similar proposed vehicles. Volkswagen has just announced that the production version of the mid-engined Blue Sport Concept is also uncertain, stating the same reasons as Porsche: the company can’t find enough sales to justify investing in the model.
This may put a little hiccup in Volkswagen’s plans to increase sales to 800,000 units a year by 2018, but according to Volkswagen of America boss Jonathan Browning, "we don’t need to keep adding to our portfolio of models. We’re concentrating on our core models." Nice sidestep, but this only means that the company failed to find the market needed to sell 50,000 units a year of the production BlueSport.
They’re surely not getting rid of the vehicle, though, especially since engineering for the Blue Sport has been completed: "There is no official release for the project. It’s not a technology problem, but of finding enough customers. I don’t have enough [sales] volume to get the go-ahead," said Volkswagen’s engineering boss, Uli Hackenberg.
So, for now, the production Volkswagen BlueSport has been put on hold, further opening the door Porsche cracked when the Baby Boxster took its fall. We’re guessing Audi’s plans of offering a new sports car slotted under the R8 may get invited to this party, but Audi seemed pretty intent on producing the junior model. Only time will tell.
Rumors about an Audi R4 sports car have been circulating for a very long time now. Audi has denied its existence a few times, but Volkswagen announcing three different production versions of the BlueSport concept has brought the R4 back out on the table. The first rumors suggested the model would be revealed in 2010, but that was obviously not the case. The R4 will actually be revealed in 2014 as a 2015 model and will share its platform with the new entry-level Porsche and Volkswagen two-seaters.
When talking with AutoCar about the new R4, an Audi source said: "We have not abandoned plans for a roadster along the lines of the E-tron Spyder. We have reached a stage where we are moving forward and are now in the process of progressing the business case further, but it won’t go on sale until after the third-generation TT."
This statement can be translated into the fact that the R4 won’t hit the market until late 2014 and it will be designed in such a manner that it won’t hurt the sales of both the Audi TT and the Audi R8 supercar, meaning it will be placed somewhere in the middle.
UPDATE 10/26/2011: During an interview with British magazine, AutoExpress, an Audi insider has confirmed that the future R4 will feature both a 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo producing around 400bhp and a hybrid powertrain: "Even in our sports car ranges, customer demand for efficiency is increasing." The model will be offered in both roadster and coupe versions and Audi hopes to sell around 10,000 units a year.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2015 Audi R4.
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Volkswagen’s plans to roll out three production versions of the BlueSport Concept sparked all sorts of discussions on which vehicles would get treated to the design. As of now it looks as if Porsche will be dishing out the 550 (Baby Boxster?) based on the iconic 550 Spyder launched in 1953, Volkswagen will be serving up the Bluesport production model using the concept’s design, and Audi will be treating us to the R4.
The new Audi R4 will only be offered in a roadster version and will take its design inspiration from the E-tron Spyder concept, as well as new design lines that will also be seen in the next generation R8 supercar. It will be powered by a choice of three engines, including the current 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine featuring a new variable cam and valve lift control system and an output of about 280 HP. The second choice will be a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine with an output of about 350 HP and the third will be a twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel with an output of about 200bhp and 295lb ft.
Audi will be debuting the new R4 sometime in 2014 with sales starting in 2015 at about $40,000-$45,000.
So, how did everyone like seeing the E-Tron Detroit Showcar when it debuted at the Detroit Motor Show? How would everyone like to see a roadster version grace the show floor at the Paris Auto Show? That’s right, rumor has it that Audi will be bringing a roadster version of the the 2-seater concept most commonly dubbed as the R4. It looks like the Americans got a coupe version while Europe Audi will see a roadster version, bringing all of us a step closer to the production version of the concept.
The production version will be either an electric model, or a mid-engine competitor for the Porsche Boxster. The Detroit concept was powered by two electric motors with a combined output of 204 HP and 1954.54 lb-ft of torque. The concept can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in only 5.9 seconds and reach a top speed limited to 155 MPH. It was dominated by their signature super car grill as well as a pair of large vertical air intakes and a matrix LEDs to make up the headlights just like the R8.
We like calling it the R4 because, well, the name just fits, but, truth be told, we don’t really know what name the small sports car will actually come equipped with. The R4, unfortunately, was already taken by Renault for a hatchback they produced from 1961 and 1994. Anyone want to take a stab at possible names?
At the 2010 Detroit Auto Show Audi unveiled a new version of their E-tron concept car. It previewed a new sports car that until now was rumored to be called the R4. Now, Automobilemag is suggesting that the car will, in fact, be called the R5. This suggestion stems from the fact that the car will have an inline five engine instead of the four-cylinder reserved for the Audi TT.
However, while the E-tron concept was powered by two electric motors, the production version will be a compact, gasoline-powered, mid-engine, two-seat sports car. With the E-tron, Audi only wanted to show that they could develop electric cars, not that they wanted to. The only E-tron anyone will be seeing so far will be the R8 E-tron which will go into production next year.
The R5 is codenamed 9X1 and will be built on the same architecture as the next 911. The 9X1 components will be tailored to meet the needs of VW, Audi, and Porsche (Bluesport, R5, and new 356). Audi will offer both coupe and roadster versions and they will both be revealed sometime in 2013.
