Photo: Audi
We've known for some time that the Audi R8 was getting fairly close to a ground-up rebuild, but nobody expected this. The next halo supercar from Audi won't have any form of internal combustion whatsoever. Here's what they're planning and how it could affect the rest of the family.
According to a report from Roadshow, Audi Sport's head of Product Marketing, Linda Kurz, has confirmed the next R8 will be fully electric. She specifically said that the "next challenge" for the R brand will be to "transform the R segment, and the R segment is going to be fully electric. This is our job for the next decade,"
That's huge news to most of us. Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like rumors about a hybrid powertrain were still swirling around. The next R8 was said to have a twin-turbocharged V8 paired with a mild-hybrid system.
That would be very similar to the gas powertrain currently found in the Audi RSQ7 and the Lamborghini Urus. But it sounds like Audi is going a totally different route, more akin to the RS e-tron GT.
With that in mind, we should also mention that Kurtz also said that 80% of all RS cars will be electrified to one degree or another by 2026. That change will certainly keep the RS line near the front of the pack with respect to rivals.
It's interesting to consider how it might affect others in the VAG family as well. Surely, Porsche will continue to get a great deal of the same tech that Audi is using. Then there's Lamborghini to think of as well.
They recently said that by 2027 or 2028 that they wanted to release their first all-electric vehicle. We expect a replacement for the Huracan around that same time, but from what Lamborghini said, that car will retain an internal combustion engine.
Only time will tell what actually happens but Lamborghini would certainly have an easier time standing out, if the Huracan and the R8 used totally different powertrains.
That's huge news to most of us. Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like rumors about a hybrid powertrain were still swirling around. The next R8 was said to have a twin-turbocharged V8 paired with a mild-hybrid system.
That would be very similar to the gas powertrain currently found in the Audi RSQ7 and the Lamborghini Urus. But it sounds like Audi is going a totally different route, more akin to the RS e-tron GT.
With that in mind, we should also mention that Kurtz also said that 80% of all RS cars will be electrified to one degree or another by 2026. That change will certainly keep the RS line near the front of the pack with respect to rivals.
It's interesting to consider how it might affect others in the VAG family as well. Surely, Porsche will continue to get a great deal of the same tech that Audi is using. Then there's Lamborghini to think of as well.
They recently said that by 2027 or 2028 that they wanted to release their first all-electric vehicle. We expect a replacement for the Huracan around that same time, but from what Lamborghini said, that car will retain an internal combustion engine.
Only time will tell what actually happens but Lamborghini would certainly have an easier time standing out, if the Huracan and the R8 used totally different powertrains.
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