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Audi e-tron Spyder struts its stuff in Malibu

Chris Shunk — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:17:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Videos, Audi, Design/Style, Electric, Diesel

There is a lot to love about the 2014 Audi e-tron Spyder. It's a compact roadster with a torque-happy, twin-turbo diesel V6 mated to two electric motors capable of more instant twist. When we recently took the e-tron Spyder for a spin, we were limited to just 40 miles per hour, but the Four-Ringed automaker tells us that a trip to 62 takes only 4.4 seconds.

And because this Spyder is a green monster, it can travel up to 30 miles on electric power alone. Using a mixture of the diesel and its lithium ion battery, it will consume on average a scant 2.2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.

That sounds like a lot of "too good to be true," but Audi promises to be the leader in luxury electric cars by 2020, and a production version of this vehicle is expected for 2014. Hit the jump to watch new footage of the e-tron Spyder in motion. It might not be ready to go on sale, but it at least looks mighty fine on the roads of Malibu, California, near where we drove it.

Continue reading Audi e-tron Spyder struts its stuff in Malibu

Audi e-tron Spyder struts its stuff in Malibu originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2014 Audi e-tron Spyder [w/video]

Matt Davis — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Hybrid, Performance, Audi, Design/Style, Electric, Diesel, Quick Spins

Driving Audi's Futurethink Diesel-Electric Roadster

At last September's Paris Motor Show, we were thrilled to see this very concept car, the Audi e-tron Spyder. The crisp lines of its carbon composite exterior, its tapering side windows, its airflow vents cut in the hood, its almost impossibly clean and sleek interior treatment... all of it spoke strongly without trying too hard.

After the September 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show debut of the R8-based all-electric e-tron, we then got the surprise of seeing an even smaller one - also called "e-tron" (perhaps to confuse and/or not give too much away regarding the design's important future) at last January's Detroit Auto Show. This second electric car, a hardtop, carried two electric motors pushing the rear wheels (versus the four motors of the R8 e-tron's all-wheel drive, an ongoing programming challenge referred to within Audi as e-Quattro).

The e-tron Spyder, however, is not just a roofless version of that stunning Detroit e-tron coupe, as the model we're driving here comes with an all-new plug-in diesel hybrid-electric drivetrain, and it's 5.1 inches longer with more wheelbase, along with being 1.2 inches wider. On the other hand, the current Audi TT is 4.7 inches longer than the e-tron Spyder, so we're still operating on a very small scale here.

Our time in the driver's seat of the e-tron Spyder was originally set for right after June's 24-Hours of Le Mans, where the car successfully completed a parade lap for the almighty marketing department's sake. Sadly, right as they were loading the car onto a transporter to get it on a plane and out here to SoCal, an incident occurred that left one of the rocker panels of the Spyder pretty beat up. Now that the summer holiday and big Frankfurt show push is done, we've been given another go.

Continue reading 2014 Audi e-tron Spyder [w/video]

2014 Audi e-tron Spyder [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011: Audi shows off revised eTron Spyder

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Hybrid, CES, Audi, Electric, Diesel

Audi eTron Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler rolled onto the stage in the same eTron Spyder we saw in Paris, but for the crowd in Sin City, Audi swapped the silver paint for a more delectable red hue.

Aside from the color change, everything else remains the same, from the 300-horsepower twin-turbo TDI V6 churning out 479 pound-feet of torque to the front-mounted battery and wrap around windshield. It's still a looker, although we're generally in favor of something a little more subtle...

Gallery: CES 2011: Audi eTron Spyder

Gallery: Audi eTron Spyder

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Damon Lavrinc / AOL

CES 2011: Audi shows off revised eTron Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Audi created the e-tron Spyder

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Paris Motor Show, Audi, Electric, Luxury

Making the Audi e-tron Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi has pulled back the covers on how it created the e-tron Spyder for the Paris Motor Show, and it's giving us a rare glimpse into what went on behind the scenes. It took five months to turn the sketches into the Paris runway beauty, and Audi tells the story from the viewpoint of the designers modeling and how they balance styling with feasibility. Much of it was, of course, hand made, but even then it went beyond Audi's show-car usual, such as building wheels each containing 66 individual parts.

Not surprisingly, the tale begins like a superhero fable - "It is a functional, rectangular building with a gray facade - a hall like thousands of others in the industrial parks dotting our cities..." - and you'll find the details after the jump.

Gallery: Making the Audi e-tron Spyder

[Source: Audi]

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How Audi created the e-tron Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: Audi e-tron Spyder is what topless hybrid dreams are made of

Zach Bowman — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Hybrid, Europe, Technology, Paris Motor Show

Audi e-tron Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi keeps on growing its e-tron family. The automaker pulled a fast one by unveiling yet another electrified monster at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, only this time, the low-slung hybrid came sans-top. The concept is powered by two electric motors and a 300-horsepower twin-turbo TDI V6 that comes to the fight with 479 pound-feet of torque. Audi says that despite the hefty 9.1 kilowatt-hour battery mounted up front, it managed to keep the weight low and distribute the pounds evenly across the chassis. As a result, this e-tron should be plenty flingable if it ever makes it off of the stage and onto a public road.

Audi says the e-tron Spyder hits the scales at 3,196 pounds and that the drivetrain can be driver-controlled to operate on electric power only at speeds up to 37 mph for a total of 31 miles. The manufacturer says that in city driving, the capability is more than enough to hang with traffic. If not, there's always that juicy diesel V6 to play with. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi e-tron Spyder Concept

Photos by Zach Bowman / AOL

Gallery: Audi e-tron Spyder

Continue reading Paris 2010: Audi e-tron Spyder is what topless hybrid dreams are made of

Paris 2010: Audi e-tron Spyder is what topless hybrid dreams are made of originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First images of Audi e-tron Spyder leak out?

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 15:18:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi, Electric, Luxury

Audi e-Tron Spyder sketch - Click above for image gallery

We aren't sure of the provenance and we have no information beyond the images, but these could be the first sketches of the oft-rumored Audi e-Tron Spyder that's supposedly set to debut at the Paris Motor Show. As you'd expect, this convertible creature appears to be based on the design of the e-Tron Concept shown at the Detroit Auto Show this year, not the original concept shown in Frankfurt. Still, no word on the powerplant involved, but if it is headed for production expect a run of 1,000 units in 2012. Hit the gallery for a few more images.

Gallery: Audi e-Tron Spyder sketches

[Source: Caradisiac (translated)]

First images of Audi e-tron Spyder leak out? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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