The Audi R8 might not be as dead as we once thought, if a new report from Autocar is correct. Take this information as the anonymously-sourced report that it is, but if true, the R8 could be coming back as an Audi version of the Lamborghini Temerario.
Autocar claims to have knowledge that engineering on the vehicle is officially underway with the backing of Audi chairman Gernot Döllner. The details are theoretically similar in scope to the two previous generations of R8: take the important bits from Lamborghini; temper its character into something more Germanic; and wrap it all in Audi styling.
According to the report, the Temerario would share its flat-plane crank 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that produces 788 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque while revving to 10,000 rpm with the next-gen R8; its hybrid components would also come with, including three electric motors and a small 3.8 kWh battery pack, which raise total output to 907 horsepower in the Lambo. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic would handle shifting, and Audi would be able to keep its signature Quattro all-wheel-drive branding alive, thanks to two of the electric motors being on the front axle.
Lamborghini
If made, this new R8 would share a structure with the Temerario, too, bringing chassis and platform improvements over the outgoing R8. Expect any such car to have 0-60 mph time under three seconds and a top speed similar to the Temerario’s 213-mph figure.
Autocar says this revival of the R8 is a result of Audi’s board and the VW Group tweaking its ICE-to-EV transition plans. The revised outlook would extend the life cycles of certain internal combustion models and increase the number of plug-in hybrids throughout the lineup. Additionally, a new R8 could be used in motorsports applications… but that’s just as up in the air as the rest of this news.
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