Rendered Speculation: On-again, off-again Audi R4

Speculation that Audi will debut a new mid-engine model called the R4 has been rampant for at least the past two years. Despite the fact that Audi made it clear one year ago that the R4 was not in their product plans, the talk continues. In addition to the rumors, we now have some rendered speculation on what the R4 might look like thanks to Autocar Czech Republic magazine freelancer Jan Kamenistiak.

It's not exactly known where the mid-engine R4 would fit in Audi's model lineup, with some placing it above the TT and others below. Others have it sharing a platform with a possible production version of the Volkswagen BlueSport Concept that debuted at this year's Detroit Auto Show. Known for their ability to skin a car eight different ways and convince the public that they're buying something totally unique, Audi would likely draw heavily from the VW/Audi parts bin for the R4's power- and drivetrain bits, as there are plenty of worthy four-cylinder engines – both gas and diesel – and dual clutch transmissions to choose from.

Until official word comes from Audi, however, that the R4 is actually in the works, we'll still consider all this talk nothing more than speculation.

[Source: Autocar Czech]