Autoblog

Audi supercar not yet approved, R4 not quite dead, still room for an MPV

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Performance, Crossover, Audi, Diesel, Luxury

According to a report by Autocar, all we thought we knew of the in-development Audi supercar we might not actually know. A piece in Car and Driver, not even a month old, said the diesel-hybrid halo car was in the design stages, would get the engine from the R18 E-Tron Quattro and its carbon fiber tub. Now we get word that that while the coupe is indeed being designed, it hasn't yet been signed off and there's no business case for it yet. Said business case, whenever it is built, is also dubious of the diesel aspect of the car at the moment - diesels aren't known for creating Pavlovian purchase responses in buyers in the two key markets of the US and China.

The report suggests that instead of a diesel, the 2014 Le Mans regulations changes "could swing the favour back towards petrol models," which would give the so-called Scorpion a better tie to racing technology. Of course, that also assumes that Audi would contest next year's Le Mans with a gas-powered car. If so, that would be an about-face on the original reasons for the halo sportscar in the first place.

In other news, seems Audi also believes it can slot another sportscar below the R8, it just needs to get the financials sorted. The R4 - a Porsche Boxster-sized roadster - that has been chattered about for years is still in on the table but appears a long way off. Company R&D chief Wolfgang Durheimer said it would need to be mid-engined and bring plenty of tech to separate itself from the TT, but mass-market price point is the catch as is the focus on other segments in the portfolio.

The least sexy side of the Audi pool, but apparently the most important, is boiling with plans for new utility vehicles and possibly an MPV. What Car? quotes Durheimer at the Shanghai Motor Show saying "SUV products are a first priority," which would fit into what we've been hearing about the brand's design overhaul, the products in question a Q above the Q7 and another below the Q3. A people mover is also said to be under consideration assuming Audi can create something that hauls six or seven while maintaining brand values.

Audi supercar not yet approved, R4 not quite dead, still room for an MPV originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi's diesel-electric supercar is codenamed 'Scorpion'

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Audi, Diesel, Luxury

Speculation continues as to the final nature of the diesel-hybrid Audi supercar said to arrive in 2016 or 2017. A previous report in Automobile had the halo coupe, based closely on the R18 etron quattro endurance racer, codenamed R20 and pegged to look like a Le Mans winner for the street with around 700 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque from a twin-turbo V6. Now Car and Driver has updated the gossip with a report that the car is internally called "Scorpion," and it will be even closer to the R18 than supposed.

CD says the heart of the car will use the R18 etron quattro's carbon fiber tub and its engine will be "taken directly" from the race car. That means a 3.7-liter V6 with a single turbo that, in ACO-spec restricted form, outputs 500 hp and 625 lb-ft - CD suspects production output could get to 600 hp - and drives the rear wheels, aided by hybrid motors driving the front wheels. And remember, at Le Mans the R18's hybrid motors can't kick in until they're above a certain speed in order to prevent Audi from getting an advantage coming out of slow corners. A street car wouldn't face that restriction.

The Scorpion would be a fulsome and undiluted example of the technologies Audi has created during its return to sports car racing. Its exterior design hasn't been finalized, with CD citing either the convoluted concept of "a retro take on the future of racing" or packaging that would adhere to the R18's looks. To make sure it is properly appreciated and sells well, production could be limited to the same 333 units as the R8 GT and A1 Quattro.

Audi's diesel-electric supercar is codenamed 'Scorpion' originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R20, Le Mans-based diesel supercar, said to come in 2016

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Audi, Diesel, Luxury

It was about a month ago that we first heard rumblings of a new Audi supercar that would borrow generously from the firm's Le Mans racers. At the time, Audi R&D chief Wolfgang Dürheimer was telling Auto Express that it could be a big seller if it were a diesel hybrid, and that not only would it sell well but it would be a match for coming vehicular royalty like the McLaren P1, Ferrari F70 and Porsche 918. Auto Express speculated carbon fiber construction and numbers like 700 horsepower, 737 pound-feet of torque and a top speed beyond 200 miles per hour.

About a week ago that was updated by a report that the supercar would be unlike the R8 and, naturally, be state-of-the-art in the technology department. Now Automobile has chimed in with a deep-dive report on the supercar that has the project name of R20. To demonstrate its connection to Audi's Le Mans cars and distance itself from the R8, the report claims it will look like "a street-legal LeMans racer," meaning vertical LED headlights, "ventilated front and rear wings," the one out back being adjustable, and a tailfin running from the cockpit to the rear end.

Power would come from a diesel-hybrid setup built around Audi's twin-turbo V6, with 550 hp from the engine and a further two 75-hp electric motors turning the front wheels. The interior would also go state-of-the-art, with a black-panel instrument cluster, active contour seats, cameras taking the place of mirrors and an old-fashioned four-point harness for that racerly feel.

Automobile believes the R20 could be shown at Pebble Beach in 2015 and go on sale in 2016, but be limited to 150 or 200 units.

Audi R20, Le Mans-based diesel supercar, said to come in 2016 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Dec 2012 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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