The 2010 Paris Auto Show which started in early October witnessed a new version of Audi's e-tron line of electric cars, the Spyder. Nearly three weeks since the carmaker pulled the wraps off the car, Audi decided to give us a glimpse of what building this version of the electric supercar meant.
As usual, work on the project began with sketches, which were turned into the real thing in only five months. The car was built in two stages, each tackling one of the two halves of the car, which were put together with only six weeks left before the Paris event. At that time, the e-tron was still a clay model.
From here, the model went into was is called design freeze, with the Audi brass approving the car for production. The car has been designed to be reminiscent of the motorsports world. Built with the use of the Audi Space Frame (ASF) technology, the body of the car is a hybrid in itself, combining aluminum with carbon fiber.
"The designers were the driving force," says Uwe Haller, the man Audi put in charge with coordinating the construction of concept vehicles.
The e-tron packs a hybrid drive train which comprises a 300 hp twin-turbo V6 TDI powering the rear axle (the first use of a new generation of the engine) and two electric motors with a total output of 64 kw (88 hp) feeding power to the front one.
The Spyder e-tron, not as a pure electric vehicle, but a plug-in hybrid one, previews perhaps the direction in which the e-tron division of the carmaker will be heading with its future products.
As usual, work on the project began with sketches, which were turned into the real thing in only five months. The car was built in two stages, each tackling one of the two halves of the car, which were put together with only six weeks left before the Paris event. At that time, the e-tron was still a clay model.
From here, the model went into was is called design freeze, with the Audi brass approving the car for production. The car has been designed to be reminiscent of the motorsports world. Built with the use of the Audi Space Frame (ASF) technology, the body of the car is a hybrid in itself, combining aluminum with carbon fiber.
"The designers were the driving force," says Uwe Haller, the man Audi put in charge with coordinating the construction of concept vehicles.
The e-tron packs a hybrid drive train which comprises a 300 hp twin-turbo V6 TDI powering the rear axle (the first use of a new generation of the engine) and two electric motors with a total output of 64 kw (88 hp) feeding power to the front one.
The Spyder e-tron, not as a pure electric vehicle, but a plug-in hybrid one, previews perhaps the direction in which the e-tron division of the carmaker will be heading with its future products.