2016 Audi R8 E-Tron
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Audi R8 E-Tron
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Year:2016
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Engine:four electric motors
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Transmission:triangular double wishbone in the front/trapezoidal-link in the rear
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Horsepower @ RPM:455
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Torque @ RPM:678
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0-60 time:3.9 sec.
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Top Speed:155 mph
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Price:250000
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Audi has teased the idea of an electric version of its R8 supercar on more than one occasion. First we had the e-tron concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, which then made a debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. Audi even went as far as to put its creation around the Nürburgring for a record-setting 8:09.099 minute lap time. Now, finally, it looks like the R8 e-tron is set to make it to showrooms worldwide.
The big news comes straight from the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, where Audi showcased an all-electric supercar alongside the redesigned, second-generation R8. At first glance, the e-tron model is an R8 with the stock V-10 drivetrain swapped out for a pair of electric motors and their associated batteries, but this German-built EV with supercar credentials is more than that. And with zero emissions emanating from a non-existent tailpipe, the R8 e-tron represents a big step forward for green racing tech.
As expected, the R8 e-tron is one of the quickest EVs out there. What’s surprising though is that it can perform extremely well in the range department. How well, you may ask? Let’s say that the Tesla Model S needs a small range update next time Elon Musk rolls out a new upgrade. But you’re going to have to check out the review below for more info on that.
Updated 10/27/2015: While Audi already dropped official details on the R8 E-tron, this is the first time the new car was caught in action at the Nurbrugring race track. You have to admit that its blue exterior color looks stunning, and that orange light around the “sideblades” is also a nice detail.
Continue reading to learn more about the Audi R8 E-Tron.
Latest Audi E-tron news and reviews:
Audi to Offer the E-Tron Quattro With Sideview Cameras in Markets that Allow It
As the Audi e-Tron all-electric SUV is moving closer to production, the German automaker is releasing new details about the battery-powered hauler. And although it looks almost like a conventional Q7 on the outside, the e-Tron is significantly different when it comes to aerodynamics. The e-Tron not only has the lowest drag coefficient of any Audi SUV, but it will also become the first production vehicle to feature cameras instead of mirrors.
2019 Audi E-tron Quattro
Back when Audi debuted the Audi E-Tron Quattro Concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, it promised a production version of its all-electric SUV would be ready in 2018. Sure enough; it looks like Audi is about on par with keeping that promise as the production version of the E-Tron Quattro was just spotted in the wild for the first time. Little is known about the E-Tron Quattro at the moment, but based on the concept and what we see here, it will be a sporty, sleek SUV that shouldn’t have a problem standing up to vehicles like the Tesla Model X. I wouldn’t expect to see all of the futuristic tech from the concept inside, but it should get a digital instrument cluster and a large tablet-like display. If Audi keeps the same drivetrain setup from the concept, the production model should boast a 95 kWh battery pack that’s good for 310 miles per charge along with somewhere around 429-496 horsepower and up to 590 pound-feet of torque.
Of course, by the time this thing hits the market as a 2019 model, it’s quite possible that other automakers could be taking part in the all-electric SUV niche too. Think about models like the Mercedes EQ and the BMW i5, which should both be on the market by 2020 or 2021. Be that as it may, the segment is rather bare right now, and it looks like Audi just might beat the flock in enough time to grab itself a nice little piece of the market. Before that happens, though, let’s take a good look at the spy shots we have now and talk a little more about what we can expect.
Uodate 5/16/2018: The Audi E-Tron Quattro SUV was caught playing on the Nurburgring. Check out the spy shots section below to see it for yourself.
The New Audi E-Tron SUV Will Shed its Camo at the Audi Summit on August 30th
The Audi E-Tron SUV hasn’t even gone into production yet, and it already has a pretty long history. It started life as the Audi E-Tron Quattro concept, and since then Audi has been pushing the E-Tron Prototype – even going so far as trying to generate social media attention while it was roaming the streets during the Geneva Motor Show. More recently, Audi announced that it would be priced at double that of the Q7, or $99,000. Be that as it may, and despite the fact that we’ve pretty much seen the whole design, Audi will pull the camo off on August 30th at the Audi Summit in the Brussels.
2018 Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo
Launched in 2013, the Vision Gran Turismo program gave mainstream automakers to develop wild concept cars for the Gran Turismo 6 and Gran Turismo Sport video games. No fewer than 26 virtual vehicles were created by more than 20 carmakers until 2018, with the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Aston Martin, Toyota, Chevrolet, Lexus, and Bugatti having joined the ranks. Come 2018 and Audi launched its first concept car for the Gran Turismo Sport video game. But unlike the competition, the Audi e-Tron Vision Gran Turismo is a fully functional vehicle.
While most Vision Gran Turismo concepts were developed exclusively for the pixelated world of Gran Turismo, some were built as full-scale models, and only a small fraction had an actual drivetrain. But none of them were able to function as actual race cars outside the video game. Audi is the first to deploy its Vision Gran Turismo car to real-world racetracks, as the fully-electric vehicle will be used as a taxi during Formula E events.
One of the first manufacturers to enter Formula E with a factory-backed team, Audi is now the first carmaker to offer its customers and guests the opportunity to experience Formula E’s city circuits as passengers in the e-Tron Vision Gran Turismo. This will happen starting April 14, when Formula E goes to Rome, Italy, for the seventh race of the 2017-2018 season. There’s no specific information as to how you can sign up for a ride, but a Vision Gran Turismo concept that actually works in the real world is a might big accomplishment.
Continue reading to learn more about the Audi e-Tron Vision Gran Turismo.
Audi turned the E-Tron Vision Gran Turismo Concept into a real-life, drivable track car and this lucky fella gets to take it around a track. We should all be so lucky. The real question is whether or not you’ll ever be able to get used to hearing a car make the noise this thing does...
Audi Thinks The E-Tron Quattro is Worth Double that of a Q7; Sets Pricing at $99,000
Audi has finally released the price tag for the e-Tron Quattro, and it’s a doozy. In the German market, the electric SUV will start at €80,000, or just a tick under $100,000 based on current exchange rates. Pricing and availability in other markets will be announced at a later date. There you have it, folks. If you want to get your hands on an e-Tron Quattro, you’re going to have to break the bank.
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Audi Teases an E-Tron GT That Could Battle the AMG GT 4-Door and 8-Series Gran Coupe on Electricity Alone
Audi’s EV offensive revolves around the e-Tron line. The E-Tron Quattro will come first with the production version of the E-Tron Sportback Concept being a potential second EV model. All that may have changed, however, as Audi has just teased what it is calling the E-Tron GT, a four-door, coupe-like tourer that will run on electricity alone and have looks powerful enough to make the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door and the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe run away screaming. And, for what it’s worth, we’re saying that after only seeing about one-third of the vehicle through teaser-darkened eyes.
Will Audi have an all-electric, E-Tron tourer that can actually lay waste to gasoline-powered models in the same segment? Well, this prototype is scheduled to debut in the early 2020s, so it certainly looks that way, doesn’t it?
The Audi E-Tron Prototype is the Not-so-Cool Successor to the E-Tron Quattro Concept
The Audi e-Tron SUV Prototype has shown up at the Geneva Motor Show with a layering of “special” camo and the desire to prove its worth as it prepares to engage in a dramatic, real-world testing phase that will cover four continents and a wide range of traffic conditions and weather patterns. There is no word of performance specifications, but those will undoubtedly come to light once all 250 working prototypes complete their 3.1 million mile conquest.
The New Audi E-Tron Prototype is Roaming around Geneva Right Now!
Audi is presenting its new e-Tron Prototype (yes, another SUV) at the Geneva Motor Show. This prototype, however, is functional and even roaming the streets of Geneva between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm local time today, March 5, and tomorrow, March 6. Audi’s latest campaign brings the prototype to the streets, and Audi even says it’ll let you take a seat inside to learn more about it. If you happen to see it roaming the streets, Snap a picture and share it on social media with the #etron hashtag and Audi may just display it on their dedicated homepage: e-Tron.audi.
2017 Audi e-tron Sportback Concept
Audi takes every chance it gets to remind us of its intentions to bring a whole range of electric vehicles that will, given enough time, eventually replace its entire lineup of gasoline and diesel-drinking models. The most recent model includes the Audi e-tron Quattro concept, an SUV slated for production in 2018. But, Audi is also one of those brands that likes to blur the line between car and SUV, so it has come up with another concept called the e-tron Sportback Concept – basically another interpretation of the Quattro concept with a lower roof, slanted rear, and a few other unique styling cues. It even uses the same electric drivetrain as it’s taller-sitting brethren, which means it gets a 96-kWh battery pack, three electric motors, and an estimated range of about 310 miles. A fast-charging system could offer up as much as 248 miles with as little as 30 minutes of DC charging. And, you’ll probably be able to buy one by the turn of the decade, as Audi as said it will be introduced in production form shortly after the e-tron Quattro for the 2019 model year.
So, if you haven’t come to terms with the fact that electric cars are on their way up, you better get used to it. With more than 300 miles to a charge, up to 496 horsepower on demand, and the ability to charge extremely quickly, Tesla isn’t the only heavy-hitter on the block anymore. The technology is finally there to ease range anxiety, and Audi is planning to capitalize on this early in the game. But, for now, this little “coupish-SUV” is just a concept. It’s a strong preview of a production model, so let’s take a good look at it and see what the future holds in store for us.
Audi’s First Production Series EV to be called the "E-Tron"
German automaker Audi has confirmed that its future series production electric cars will use the name "e-tron." The news comes straight from Audi chairman Rupert Stadler, who added that the moniker will be carried without any specific model designation.
"It is comparable to the first Audi quattro, which was known simply as the quattro," Stadler said according to Autocar, adding that "in the long term the name e-tron will stand for a pure electric driveline structure."
On the other hand, he said that regular models will continue to use the e-tron name. Audi currently offers e-tron versions of the Q7 SUV and A3 Sportback five-door, but these have hybrid drivetrains that combine conventional engines and electric motors. As you may recall, the German brand pulled the plug on the R8 e-tron, the only e-tron with a pure electric drivetrain, after less than two years on the market and less than 100 units built.
Stadler confirmed once again that the first vehicle to wear the "e-tron" badge will be an SUV based on the e-tron quattro concept that was showcased at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. The battery-powered people hauler will be followed by a small hatchback and a sedan by the end of the 2020.
At the same time, he said that Audi is working on a premium electric sedan aimed at the Tesla Model S: "I do believe that it makes sense for the Audi brand to be positioned in the top premium segment with this drivelinetechnology." Although a name has yet to be confirmed, it could be called the A8 e-tron.
Continue reading for the full story.
Audi has teased the idea of an electric version of its R8 supercar on more than one occasion. First we had the e-tron concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, which then made a debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. Audi even went as far as to put its creation around the Nürburgring for a record-setting 8:09.099 minute lap time. Now, finally, it looks like the R8 e-tron is set to make it to showrooms worldwide.
The big news comes straight from the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, where Audi showcased an all-electric supercar alongside the redesigned, second-generation R8. At first glance, the e-tron model is an R8 with the stock V-10 drivetrain swapped out for a pair of electric motors and their associated batteries, but this German-built EV with supercar credentials is more than that. And with zero emissions emanating from a non-existent tailpipe, the R8 e-tron represents a big step forward for green racing tech.
As expected, the R8 e-tron is one of the quickest EVs out there. What’s surprising though is that it can perform extremely well in the range department. How well, you may ask? Let’s say that the Tesla Model S needs a small range update next time Elon Musk rolls out a new upgrade. But you’re going to have to check out the review below for more info on that.
Updated 10/27/2015: While Audi already dropped official details on the R8 E-tron, this is the first time the new car was caught in action at the Nurbrugring race track. You have to admit that its blue exterior color looks stunning, and that orange light around the “sideblades” is also a nice detail.
Continue reading to learn more about the Audi R8 E-Tron.
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Audi’s E-Tron moniker has a brand new member. Meet the E-Tron Quattro Concept. This all-electric SUV is the spiritual brother to the 2010 Audi E-Tron concept that debuted in 2010, and combined the latest technologies that make all-electric vehicles more of a consumer good than science project.
Of course automakers like Tesla and Nissan already have fully electric vehicles on the market. In fact, Tesla’s upcoming 2016 Tesla Model X will be a hardy rival to Audi’s E-Tron Quattro. However, the Model X will likely arrive before the E-Tron Quattro, which Audi promises in “early 2018.”
Rivalry aside, this concept is a solid look into what the future holds for Audi, both in terms of design and electronics. The sculpted exterior has hints of Audi’s current design themes with a generous portion of new flair sprinkled in. Powertrain wise, the E-Tron Quattro packs three electric motors – one up front and two in back – to move the low-slung SUV to 62 mph in a projected 4.6 seconds and onto a governed top speed of 130.5 mph.
Besides offering surprising performance, the E-Tron Quattro is filled to the brim with futuristic tech, including its charging system. There is a Combined Charging System that handles DC and AC current, a wireless induction system, and a solar panel system built onto the roof. If you’re lucky enough to find a 150-kW DC fast charger, the Audi’s battery pack can be recharged in roughly 50 minutes.
These details only scratch the surface, so keep reading for all the futuristic tech.
Updated 09/21/2015: We’ve added a series of new images we took at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Find the new images in the "Pictures" tab.
Continue reading for my full review of the E-Tron Quattro Concept.
After eight-years and countless road and race variants, it’s looking like we’ll be seeing an all-new Audi R8 at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March, and a fully-electric E-tron version will debut at the same time. That’s the word from our friends over at Car Advice, who recently spoke with Audi board member for technical development, Ulrich Hackenberg.
You might remember that an E-tron based on the first generation was all but a certainty for production after it debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, but after that, everything went silent. Now we know it was because the car’s range was not up to Hackenberg’s standards. He now promises a 400-plus mile range for the new R8-based E-tron.
“First I did agree to stop such a project,” said Hackenberg to Car Advice about the 2009 E-tron concept. “The project had to be re-engineered because the range was 220 km (136 miles) – it was not enough. So what I made with the team was to continue to work on this, and we could realize between 400 (248 miles) and 500 (310 miles).”
For now, Hackenburg sees low-volume supercars as the best application for electric power, and explains that the R8 platform would be used as “a carrier for technologies.” He also expressed his desire to see some form of electrification in every future Audi, starting with the recently unveiled new Q7 and the next R8 and A8.
Hackenburg was tip-lipped about specifics for the next internal-combustion R8, but did have some bad news for fans of manual gearboxes, announcing it will only be available with a dual-clutch transmission and no manual option. He went on to explain that if it’s personal lap times you’re after, DSGs will beat manuals every time.
Click past the jump to read more about the next Audi R8 and R8 E-tron.
Even though Audi was until recently a bit behind both BMW and Mercedes-Benz in terms of plug-in hybrids and road-going electric cars, the Ingolstadt manufacturer is now on the rebound. To make up for lost ground, Audi plans to roll-out a new plug-in hybrid model every year, albeit it oddly doesn’t mention the exact time period for the whole shebang. Apart from the e-tron-branded vehicles, the Audi is also working on purely electric cars to launch in the near future, confirming the recent rumor about an all-electric sports car and a crossover SUV running on nothing but batteries.
The above information was revealed at CES 2015, where strangely enough not a single plug-in hybrid or electric Audi concept car was in attendance, with the carmaker instead plugging its autonomous driving technology. Apart from developing an entire range of plug-in hybrid or fully-electric cars in the near future, Audi is also working hard to improve contactless charging for the aforementioned types of vehicles, with the greatest effort being placed into induction-based energy, something the German car manufacturer calls Audi Wireless Charging (AWC).
As the first plug-in hybrid vehicle from Audi was successfully-launched in 2014 in the shape of the A3 e-Tron model, the next road-going car using similar technology will apparently be part of the medium segment, although the carmaker declined to go into specifics. If I were to guess, Audi is probably talking about a plug-in hybrid 2016 Q7 to go on sale in 2015, even though I fail to see how that beast of an SUV could be ever considered as part of the "medium segment."
Click past the jump to read more about Audi’s future Plug-In Hybrid E-Tron models.
This just in from the Le Mans track: one of the three Audi R18 e-tron quattro race cars race cars set to start in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans event got blown to smithereens in a crash that occurred during practice.
The No. 1 R18 e-tron quattro had Loic Duval at its helm when it went airborne and slammed into a concrete wall with its rear end, Jalopnik reports. Although the hybrid vehicle sustained massive damage, Duval is conscious and talking, with no signs of severe injuries.
The Frenchman is, however, under intense medical observation in a nearby hospital. Judging by the way the car looks after the massive crash, Loic is one lucky fellow, but we have a hunch FIA’s demanding safety regulations and Audi’s adherence to them when designing the R18 played a key role in avoiding a tragedy.
Getting back to the wreckage, the footage reveals that likely nothing can be salvaged from the No. 1 car. Losing the chassis is terrible news for Audi, which now has to decide whether to bring a replacement unit and face a penalty or use only two cars in the big race.
The No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro is supposed to lap the Circuit de la Sarthe with Loic Duval, Lucas di Grassi and Tom Kristinsen behind the wheel. The remaining cars will be driven by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer, Filipe Albuqurque, Marco Bonanomi and Oliver Jarvis.
Click past the jump to read more and watch footage from the scene.
As with most iterations of the Audi R18 race car, this year’s e-tron quattro machine has just received a number of updates ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The endurance event is scheduled to take place in mid-June in France.
Unlike the version used throughout the 2014 World Endurance Championship, the Le Mans racer’s body has been optimized for minimal aerodynamic drag, an essential property on Circuit de la Sarthe — an unusual track that consists of several long straights and high-speed turns.
The Le Mans body might not differ much at a first glance, but a closer look reveals the Germans have altered the fenders, which now have opening on the inside instead of at the top, and elongated the body at the rear, with the wing no longer hanging above the diffuser. Lastly, the exhaust configuration has also been changed and the tail pipes are now located above the diffuser, instead of exiting to the right and left of the huge central fin.
Through these updates, the R18 e-tron quattro will be capable of higher speeds, and aim for faster laps and average race speed. Last year, factory driver Andre Lotterer achieved an average speed of 150.37 mph on his fastest lap.
Audi will field three teams in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race with the goal of winning its fifth consecutive even and the 12th title since 2000.
The powertrain of the R18 e-tron quattro in Le Mans configuration remains unchanged, with a revised, V-6, diesel engine motivating the rear wheels and with an e-tron quattro hybrid system spinning the front axle.
Click past the jump to read more about the Audi R18 e-tron quattro Le Mans.
We are witnessing the evolution of the electric car. With the world’s biggest players having entered the market, we could expect development in this field to happen at a brisk pace. BMW already has its i Series in place and Mercedes-Benz is still pondering over the SLS AMG Electric Drive. Audi, on the other hand, shocked the world when it announced the scrapping of the R8 e-tron.
As we speak, folks at Audi are reconsidering the decisions they made in axing the R8 e-tron program. Yes, Audi is currently looking at options to put the R8 e-tron in to limited production by the end of 2014. The Audi R8 e-tron was the latest zero-emissions concept coming out of the Ingolstadt factory and now a select few among us could even own one. In order to facilitate the production of the new two-seat electric sports car, Audi has made a number changes to its research and engineering divisions, spending lots of money in the process.
Such an investment could only mean, positive steps have been taken in order to make the R8 e-tron a reality. Being a Volkswagen Group entity, Audi also benefits from research and development being done by its sister company for the VW e-Up, e-Golf and the XL1 hyper-mileage car.
It’s pretty crazy how quickly things can change in the automotive world...
Click past the jump to read more about the Audi R8 e-tron
Audi’s dominance of endurance racing has become the stuff of legend and just when it appeared that the company had earned a slack off in preparations, think again.
The 2014 R-18 e-tron quattro LMP1 racer will make you believe otherwise.
Fresh off of another dominant showing at the 2013 World Endurance Championship, Audi is taking to heart the saying "the early bird gets the worm" with the early development of the R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 race car. Testing is set to begin this week with particular emphasis being put on achieving high fuel efficiency, using its sophisticated hybrid drive systems.
That’s the kind of thing you’d expect from a champion that wants to win more and not sit on its laurels and bask in all the glory it has earned.
As for the car itself, the 2014 R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 racer is expected to feature a flywheel-based, electric-drive system paired with a powerful TDI engine. Exact specifications have yet to be revealed, but preparations are already underway to build a race car that can take advantage of the company’s expertise in endurance racing, while also fitting in new rules in the WEC with particular focus being paid to efficiency, and the use of advanced fuel-saving technology, like hybrid drive systems and diesel engines, to ensure that the race car is more than just competitive, but one that can live up to Audi’s sustained excellence in endurance racing.
Judging by its looks, the race car retains all the shapes and lines of the current R-18 e-tron quattro that the company used to win the 2013 WEC title. The full-blown, cockpit-style look is going to be kept, as are those vertical LED lights, the swooping flat nose, the enormous rear wing, and those bulging wheel arches that helps in keeping the race car low to the ground.
With Porsche, Toyota, and a host of other brands determined to push Audi off of its pedestal, the company is preparing a revised version of the R18 to ensure that things of those sort never happen.
Updated 03/26/2014: The new Audi R18 e-tron quattro made its first miles during the 2014 WEC season, not on the legendary race track in Western France but in public traffic. And these new cool pictures come to prove it. Enjoy!
Click past the jump to read about the 2014 Audi R18 e-tron quattro’s predecessor
Last year, the Audi R18 e-tron quattro was the overall and LMP1 class winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours race. This year, history repeats itself, as the R18 e-tron was once again the winner at the famous race. This was the twelfth Audi victory at Le Mans.
Audi entered the race with three Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars and the win was achieved by the No. 2 car, which was driven by Loïc Duval (France), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland).
The win was even more impressive if you consider that the R18 e-tron cars were able to do two laps less on one tank filling than their main rival Toyota. So the R18 cars had to compensate for the additional pit stops by faster lap times on track
This year’s race was extremely difficult because of the extremely difficult weather conditions. There was also a fatal crash in the GT class shortly after the race started that took the life of Allan Simonsen.
Click past the jump to read more about the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
Audi is preparing to make a big step into the electrification of its lineup with the unveiling of its brand-new A3 e-tron. The model was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and will be put on sale in early 2014.
In case you have taken a little vacation under a rock for the last few years, Audi has been tossing around the e-tron designation since 2009. At the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, Audi unveiled the first e-tron concept in the form of the 308-horsepower 2010 R8 e-tron.
Audi again dropped an e-tron concept in 2010 at the Detroit Auto Show with the A4-based concept that was rumored to see life in 2014. In concept guise, this model pumped out 201 horsepower and hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. This model, codenamed the 9X1, is supposedly under development and will hit production in 2014.
The e-tron line carried on with the A1 e-tron at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, which produced 101 horsepower. Then, at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the 2011 e-tron Spyder stopped the show with its 296-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 TDI engine and 86-horsepower electric motors that sprinted the convertible to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds.
At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Audi finally unveiled the first production e-tron model, in the form of the 2013 A3 Sportback e-tron.
Click past the jump to read more about the Audi A3 e-tron.
In the previous movie, Iron Man drove a standard Audi R8 sports car, but for the third installment of the series, Iron Man will be switching to the E-tron version. In fact, he will be among only a few in the world who have had the opportunity to actually enjoy theR8 E-tron, as Audi decided not to offer a production version.
The new commercial for the Iron Man 3 shows the electric supercar in action, and as we can see from the video, is a shame a production version will not follow.
The R8 E-tron is powered by four electric motors with a total output of 313 horsepower. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds, so bad guys won’t have a chance to outrun the Iron Man.
Iron Man 3 will be released on theaters on April 24.
Back in May, we announced that Audi was eliminating the traditional rearview mirror from its R18 Le Mans cars, due to its lack of rearward-facing glass. We also made it clear that a lot of additions to new cars come from successful experiences in the racing world. Well, the R18s ended up garnering a 1-2-3 finish in that race.
As expected, with success comes commercialization, and Audi has announced that its upcoming R8 e-tron will boast this digital mirror technology. This system will consist of a 7.7-inch AMOLED screen mounted in the traditional mirror’s spot. The “mirror” uses a rear-mounted camera to send a video feed, giving the driver a slightly wider field of vision than the average rearview mirror.
Here’s the issue though, the NHTSA’s law book still requires a mirror made from reflective glass to be mounted to all passenger cars. The law specifically states “Each passenger car shall have an inside rearview mirror of unit magnification” and it defines a “unit magnification” as “a plane or flat mirror with a reflective surface through which the angular height and width of the image of an object is equal to the angular height and width of the object when viewed directly at the same distance except for flaws that do not exceed normal manufacturing tolerances. For the purposes of this regulation a prismatic day-night adjustment rearview mirror one of whose positions provides unit magnification is considered a unit magnification mirror. ”
The issue is in the verbiage is that the phrase “ a plane or flat mirror with a reflective surface...” eliminates an LED screen, as it is not a reflective surface. Now, the law becomes nullified is the car comes with side-view mirrors that have 49 square-inches of reflective surface and offer a complete view of the rear end of the vehicle. Those mirrors would be huge for this supercar, so we doubt that exemption will be valid.
We’ll have to see exactly how Audi plans to get around this, or if the NHTSA makes adjustments to its laws.
Click past the jump to read Audi’s press release.
Even though the Audi R8 e-tron hasn’t officially been launched yet, it is already a world record breaker. With a lap time of 8:09.099 minutes, the R8 e-tron has just become the fastest production vehicle with an electric drive system around the Nurburgring. The car was driven to success by racing driver Markus Winkelhock.
The R8 e-tron is powered by electric motors that deliver an output of 375 HP and a peak torque of 604 lbs-ft. The electric car will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 124 mph (electronically limited). To achieve the record-setting lap, the electronic speed limiter was removed so that the top speed could go up to 155 mph.
"The R8 e-tron has given a magnificent demonstration of its potential on the toughest race track in the world," said Michael Dick, Audi AG Board Member for Technical Development. Dick, who completed a fast lap himself in the R8 e-tron, added: "The record-setting drive confirmed that we are on the right track. To us, electric mobility has never been about sacrifice, but rather is about emotion, sportiness and driving pleasure."
The Audi R8 e-tron will grace the market with its presence by the end of 2012.
Despite the various high-speed crashes which took place at the recent 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi managed to come out on top for the 11th time in 13 years. With both Toyota LMP1 cars crashing out in the early stages of the race, one could argue that Audi was destined all along to take victory.
However, one could never have imagined that Audi managed to wrap up all three podium places with its incredible R18 race cars, two of which are e-tron Quattro-diesel-hybrids while the other two who finished in 3rd and 5th were the more conventional R18 Ultra diesel-powered racers.
Driving the victorious Audi R18 e-tron was Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer, and Benoît Tréluyer. This victory marks a historic day in Le Mans history as the victorious car is the first diesel-hybrid to ever sit upon the top step of the podium and could help pave the way for more fuel-efficient LMP1 racers.
Audi board member Rupert Stadler stated, "By achieving this further success at the world’s most important endurance race our engineers demonstrated their high technological expertise in a particularly impressive way. With the e-tron Quattro in combination with ultra-lightweight design, we put a completely new technology on the grid and immediately won with it – this cannot be taken for granted by any means, particularly here at Le Mans."
It’s inevitable that Audi has already turned its attention to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, where we expect to see even more hybrid-diesels contesting.
Audi doesn’t mind pushing the envelope a little further than most people would and has proven that with the release of a new Le Mans race car. The racer is called the R18 e-Tron hybrid quattro, a four-wheel driven diesel hybrid race car that’s set to compete at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in France on June 16 and 17, 2012.
Working under the same principles as that of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, the R18 e-Tron hybrid quattro uses kinetic energy that’s recovered whenever the car brakes, storing that energy in the flywheel accumulator as electricity before being sent back to the electric motors on the front wheels. The motors take car of the front of the vehicle, while the rear wheels get their power from the car’s 510-horsepower V6 TDI engine. The only difference between the aforementioned Porsche and the R18 e-Tron hybrid quattro is that the latter is considered a mild hybrid, using a petrol engine along with electricity.
Since the car uses a heavy hybrid system, Audi went and designed the race car’s gearbox using carbon fiber composite housing, alleviating some of the weight brought about by the complicated drivetrain.
Before it struts its wares in Le Mans, the car will be put through the paces on May 5th at the 6-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium where it will be raced by Allan McNish, Dindo Capello Tom Kristensen and Benoît Tréluyer, André Lotterer and Marcel Fässler.
UPDATE 06/07/2012: Audi has unveiled a cool promo video for their brand new R18 e-Tron that will compete at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race on Saturday, June 16th-17th 2012. The video presents Audi’s racing evolution, going from turbocharged direct injection (TFSI) up to turbo diesel (TDI) engines and the new e-tron.
Audi has been experimenting with the electric-car market for a few years and officially unveiled plans for the A1 e-tron and an electric-powered A2 recently. It does not look like either one is going to happen any time soon, according to a report from Car.
The A2 electric was slated to be released in Europe, where high-efficiency diesel and gasoline engines that get upwards of 60 mpg reign supreme. These markets are tough enough to crowbar in an electric model, but add in the fact that the A2 was expected to carry a €40,000 ($50,000) price tag, and you get a model that was bound to fail in the European marketplace. Combine that price point with the fact that the Nissan Leaf, with its far lower €25,990 ($32,500) price tag, only saw 3,000 units leave showroom floors in 2011, and Audi wisely saw this as a fruitless journey.
The entire A2 line will likely continue as expected, sans the electric model. This leaves a gasoline and diesel model as the only drivetrain options.
The A1 e-tron reportedly is meeting a similar fate, but for different reasons. The A1 e-tron is being axed due to extravagantly high production costs. This car was planned to be similar to the Chevy Volt, as it was going to have a gasoline engine to extend the range of its electric motor by charging the batteries via a Wankel (rotary) engine.
Though this is a tragic way to abruptly cease the development phase for an electric lineup, we cannot blame Audi for its choice. Electric cars just are not selling well in the European markets and having one priced nearly double its closest competitor and another one with climbing production costs just isn’t smart business.
Audi is further expanding its e-Tron line-up with a new A6 L e-Tron concept at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. This decision really shouldn’t surprise anyone considering people in the Chinese market love their large cars, but want efficiency in their models as well. The new A6 L e-Tron Concept serves up the perfect combination the luxury and the practicality of an A6, and a range of 49.71 miles on pure electric power.
Like all the other e-Tron models, the new A6 L e-Tron concept combines a 211 HP 2.0 TFSI engine with a 95 HP electric motor. The electric motor takes its power from a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery located in a collision-protected space at the rear of the vehicle.
The concept was built on an ultra lightweight principle that combines 10% aluminum with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The interior is almost similar to a standard A6, except that the power-meter replaces the tachometer that offers the driver the info he needs.
Hit the jump to read more about the new Audi A6 L e-Tron concept.
One of the biggest allures people have of supercars is the ear-splitting noise these cars produce. After all, nothing speaks to a car’s power than all those ponies working in harmony to produce a roar like no other.
But what happens with a car like the Audi R8 E-Tron, a supercar that’s powered by silent electric motors?
In the case of Audi, it involves a few compromises. In this video, Audi talks about the challenges of producing that emotional sound supercar owners love on a car that’s run by electricity. The solution, as far as Audi engineers are concerned, was to develop a synthetic sound signature that can be played with a loudspeaker attached to the car’s undercarriage.
Take note of the word "synthetic" because that in itself means that the sound is fabricated and not directly derived from the engine. Nevertheless, the objective with the "E-Sound" was to generate enough noise to allow drivers to enjoy the thrills of a supercar with an electric powertrain.
Check out the videos - one of which you can find after the jump - to find out how Audi accomplished giving the Audi R8 E-Tron the supercar-like sounds similar to its gasoline-powered siblings.
When Audi unveiled the Urban Concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, we honestly believed it was a huge waste of time because there was no chance Audi would ever actually put it into production. Turns out, we were absolutely wrong.
Audi has just announced that the Urban Concept will indeed go into production and that it will be limited to only 999 units. Sales will begin in 2013 at a starting price of £8,800 or about $14,000 at the current exchange rates.
The production version will feature two electric motors powered by a lithium ion battery and a single-speed transmission. The model will be built using carbon-fiber reinforced plastic and will weigh only 1,058 lbs. This will help the car sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds and hit a top speed of 60 mph. It is also expected to see an average range of 30 miles.
This will, by far, be the strangest production Audi produced as of now.
Next to the Quattro concept, Audi has also unveiled at the Paris Auto Show the e-tron Spyder, a concept rumored to preview the future R4 sports car. But compared to the previous E-tron concept, this one is powered by a turbochargers 3,0 Liter TDI engine with an output of 300 HP, combined with two asynchronous electric motors with a total output of 88 HP. The result is a sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4,4 seconds and a top speed limited to 155 mph. All this while delivering a fuel economy of 106.92 US mpg.
The E-tron Spyder measures 1.81 meters (5.94 ft) wide, just 4.06 meters (13.32 ft) long and only 1.11 meters (3.64 ft) in height. It features a wide central air inlet, single-frame grille, adaptive matrix beam headlight modules with three-dimensional clear glass covers carbon inserts in the front and side windows and of course 20-inch wheels.
The interior gets a large, display with integrated MMI functions and flanked by two round dials; racing-inspired lightweight bucket seats, contrasting colors and high-quality materials.
UPDATE 10/18/11: The Audi E-Tron Spyder was recently spotted at Mulholland Drive in California doing some test work. And today Audi has unveiled a new video showing the concept in action in Malibu. Also, we have added new photos of the car, which you can check out by heading to the gallery.
Press release after the jump.
A few days ago, a mysterious Audi prototype was spotted in Berlin decked in camouflage, leading to the proverbial question as to what kind of car it was. Fortunately, the mystery didn’t last long.
The German automaker has released the first details of its new Urban E-Tron Concept that will be gracing us with its presence at the coming Frankfurt Motor Show. It took a while for Audi to release all the information of the Urban E-Tron Concept, but thankfully, did so just in time for the opening of Frankfurt, complete with all the performance numbers that might not tickle the fancies of those looking for some speed to go with the cool city car concept.
UPDATE 11/02/2011: We thought the Audi Urban E-Tron Concept was a huge waste of time because there was no chance Audi would ever actually put it into production. Turns out, we were absolutely wrong.
Audi has just announced that the Urban Concept will indeed go into production and that it will be limited to only 999 units. Sales will begin in 2013 at a starting price of £8,800 or about $14,000 at the current exchange rates.
Check out more details on the Audi Urban E-Tron Concept after the jump.
You have to excuse us for doing a little double-take on Audi’s new Frankfurt-bound Urban Spyder Concept. We actually thought that this was the same concept as the Urban E-Tron Concept that we introduced a few days ago. As it turns out, they’re two completely different models. Who knew, right?
The overall look of the car is completely similar to that of the Urban E-Tron Concept, including stand-out features like the free-standing 21” wheels and the surrounding plates that incorporate those strips of LED lights. However, where the E-Tron has a sliding roof and doors, the Spyder Concept doesn’t have a roof at all and instead features a low, continuous window area with its doors opening upwards diagonally.
As for the interior, well, we don’t see anything different either. Both models carry a 1+1 seating configuration with each of the seats being made from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) to provide supreme sturdiness in a lightweight set-up.
Finally, the Urban Spyder Concept also runs on two E-Tron electric motors that provides the power for the car and combined with a lithium-ion battery pack that supplies the energy.
That’s about as much as we’ve been told for now. But rest assured, we’ll share more details as soon as they become available.
Audi has taken their E-tron concept a step forward with the unveiling of the E-tron A3 concept - a compact car featuring a powerful electric motor and a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery. Although the concept looks almost identical to the production A3, there are a few elements that will help distinguish it. The concept has received a revised instrument cluster, leather Alcantara seats, a heated windshield, and an optimized air conditioning system.
The most important difference between the two concepts can be found in the powertrain. As a hybrid concept, Audi decided to use a different engine than the one found in the A3 Sedan Concept. Instead of the 2.5-liter turbocharged engine of the A3 concept, the E-tron version has a slightly less powerful 1.4-liter TFSI turbocharged gas engine that doesn’t come close to the output the former has.
Of course, being a hybrid concept, performance takes a back seat to fuel efficiency and that’s where the E-tron A3 Concept has the upper hand over the gasoline-powered A3 Concept.
Details on the Audi E-tron A3 after the jump.
Gas prices have been soaring nationwide for sometime now. As of March 2011, the national gas price average is $3.56 and rising. For many enthusiasts that may sound like the death knell for the cars they know and love. We can hear it now, “No more supercharged V8s, no more twin turbocharged V6s. Goodbye Mustangs, goodbye Corvettes.” It really sounds like a bleak outlook for enthusiasts who live, breathe, and eat these cars (not literally, of course).
Luckily, that doesn’t have to be our future. As many of you are already aware, many companies are making great strides to preserve performance cars for all of us. They’re using new technologies to not only make sports and super cars faster, but they’re using those same technologies to make them more fuel efficient, giving us hope that there will be no end to the fast cars that we love.
That’s where we come in. We have come up with our list of the Top 10 Hybrid Sports and Super Cars that all utilize new technologies to make them faster, more fun, and more fuel-efficient. All of these cars are either on sale now, will be in the future, or will have their technologies transferred into production cars within the next few years.
Hit the jump to check out are list of top ten hybrid sports and super cars.
When the Audi E-Tron Spyder Concept was first introduced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, a lot of people – us included – we’re enamored by the car’s simplistic yet completely sexy design. Nevermind that it was a concept vehicle because whatever category it was, the car was oozing with awesomeness.
But as you’ll hear people say all the time, the finished product isn’t as interesting as the process that it took to get there. Short of saying, it’s a lot more interesting to learn how a car like the E-Tron Spyder was born as opposed to drooling over the finished product.
For their part,Audi released the story behind the conception and development of the concept vehicle, shedding light into a part of the entire process in building a car that the public isn’t all that aware of.
In the case of the E-Tron Spyder Concept, Audi held a contest to determine who was going to get a chance to design the concept car. After two weeks of design involving 17 people split into four teams, Audi went with two designers and tasked them to build a full-scale model of their creations using brown industrial plasticine that was stretched and built over and around a steel frame with wood and rigid foam.
Audi’s Board of Management eventually decided on the winning design and began building the car using a heavy dose of carbon fiber that required Audi employees to build each of the car’s body parts from a block of rigid foam before applying sheets of carbon fiber fabric. After that, it was a case of hardening up each part, cleaning it, and priming it for the build.
There’s a whole lot more behind the entire development and build-up of theAudi E-Tron Spyder Concept that we feel would be best described by the people from Audi themselves. So hit the jump to see how the Audi E-Tron Spyder Concept turned from a competition design to a concept vehicle that wowed the auto industry at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
Press Release after the jump.
Shortly after the official unveiling of the E-tron supercar at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi announced that it would be put into production in a limited 1000 units. The first prototypes that were caught testing is proof to that statement. The E-tron will compete with the electric version of the Mercedes SLS AMG which Mercedes is currently working on.
The prototype caught testing has no air intakes and the traditional front and side air intakes of the V8 and V10R8s have also been removed.
The E-tron concept is powered by a purely electric drive system made up of four motors – two at the front and two more at the rear axle. The total output of this electric drive system is 313 HP and 3,319.03 lb-ft of torque, meaning that the car can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 4.8 seconds and from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds.
If anyone is interested, as we assume some people might be, then you better start putting away some dough. Audi has said that the E-Tron should be in showrooms by the end of 2012 and will be more expensive than the Audi R8 which starts at about $114,200.
You know why i like cars?.... It’s because they have nice engines and designs though, I really don’t know a lot but I’m studying more cars. You know that they have good and bad benefits like (good): they travel fast and they are useful for disables,(bad): they pollute the air by the gasoline smoke, they cause traffic and they lessen human race. Also one of the most important thing that I like about cars is they race for money hahaha..(but dangerous).
Audi is taking full advantage of the growing wave of interactive marketing by putting their new premium hatchback, the 2011 A1, into the virtual world of Playstation Home.
Now, if you’re expecting a whole lot from this showroom, then you’re going to be disappointed to know that it doesn’t have any other feature other than being just a simple showroom. But the good news is that Audi is planning on releasing some sort of A1 game in the coming months to go along with more information regarding the E-Tron. That’s something that we can all look forward to.
This “A1 showroom” is Audi’s second attempt in integrating their brand to an interactive audience after the release of their E-Tron Vertical Run racing game, which has been played by over 700,000 players since it was released late last year.
Press Release after the jump
We first saw Audi’s R8 inspired E-Tron electric super car at the 2009 Frankfurt show, and the German automaker is making is following the move up with the E-Tron Detroit show car at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. Looking a bit more mundane, the Detroit car takes the old double bubble design and makes it more of an upright reality, looking more like a cross between a BMW 1 Series and a Nissan GT-R, this concept is a step closer to reality from Audi.
Designed around the new Audi Space Frame structural technology and built from a combination of lightweight materials like aluminum and carbon fiber composites to not only make the skeleton but also the skin of the Detroit E-Tron that is 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. Meanwhile the interior is all new, oriented toward the driver the centerpiece is a large built in central display with Audi’s integrated Multi Media Interface.
The new E-Tron will tip the scales at only 2,976.24 pounds making the electric concept exceptionally light on its feet. Powered by two electric motors with a combined output of 204 HP and 1954.54 lb-ft of torque, according to Audi. The difference between Frankfurt and Detroit is that the E-Tron now has a sort of Quattro all wheel drive train that is able to distribute the motors’ torque from wheel to wheel as required. Aside from further improving handling, this allows the Detroit E-Tron to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in only 5.9 seconds and reach a top speed limited to 155 MPH.
Press release after the jump.
