Audi going carbon/aluminum for next-gen R8 chassis

Cars keep getting heavier. It's an unfortunate trend, but one that we've grudgingly come to accept. But the next-generation Audi R8 is tipped to buck the trend.

According to reports quoting Audi's chief engineer Michael Dick, the 2014 R8 will undercut the current model's weight by some 100 kilograms (220 lbs), while increasing torsional rigidity by 30%. That's no mean feat, and to get there, Audi will reportedly build the chassis out of a combination of aluminum and carbon fiber.

That last bit may benefit from the advanced carbon construction methods being developed by sister-company Lamborghini, which Audi owes to a large degree for the existence of the R8 altogether.

Will that mean the next-gen R8 will shoot up in price, or are we looking at one of the most accessible carbon-fiber supercars in a field populated by exotics three to ten times the price? We'll have to wait and see, but we're expecting a facelifted version of the current model before the all-new one arrives in 2014.