Speculated: Volkswagen's mid-engine future

Zach Bowman — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Fortitude has gone through the trouble of cutting through all of the rumors surrounding the future of mid-engined sports cars in the Volkswagen family. The site points to two different mid-engine platforms currently in development within the expansive Volkswagen ranks - one with a longitudinally-mounted engine layout and another with a transverse engine design. A number of models could make use of the side-saddle architecture, including the much-salivated-over Volkswagen BlueSport, though Fortitude says the chassis could also provide the bones for vehicles like a Porsche 914 or 356 successor as well as a new Audi racer that could sail under the R3 banner.

And what of that longitudinal design, you ask? This is where things get really fun. Fortitude says that the high-ups at Audi AG showed off a platform called the MSS on the hush-hush, and that the chassis could underpin everything from the next R8 to the Lamborghini Gallardo successor and the Porsche 918. It could even form the mold for whatever steps into the void left by the Murcielago.

Head over to Fortitude to get a closer look at the whole shebang, complete with excellent sketches of future models.

[Source: Fortitude]

Speculated: Volkswagen's mid-engine future originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Mid-engine Audi R3 to replace TT

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Audi, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Over the past week, CAR has donned its prognostication cap and tapped it's "internal sources" in an attempt to foretell Audi's future product plans. A few of stories have ranged from inane to insane, but one post seems entirely plausible and has blinded us with excitement.

Audi's mid-engine R4 was pronounced stillborn this past year, but with Volkswagen bringing its own midship concept to the Los Angeles Auto Show this November, Audi might revive plans its own version to market in the next five years. The new R3 would effectively replace the TT, providing a better business case for VAG to produce a mid-engine platform and silencing critics that have constantly complained that the TT is merely a tarted up Golf.

If the Volkswagen version is well received and given the green light, expect it to debut in 2013, with Audi's variant following shortly thereafter. In an attempt to keep from directly competing with the Porsche Boxster, Audi will exclusively offer the R3 with four-cylinder engines, including a 180 hp, 1.8-liter TFSI, 220 hp, 2.0-liter and a 280 hp, 2.0-liter on the S-line model. Diesels are also being considered, ranging from a 125 hp, 1.6.-liter to a 204 hp, 2.0-liter.

[Source: CAR]

Rumormill: Mid-engine Audi R3 to replace TT originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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