Audi Confirms R8 Successor Will Be All-Electric

We don't know whether Audi Sport's next halo car will still be called R8, but it will definitely be battery-powered.

2015 Audi R8 e-tron

Dan Mihalascu

By: Dan Mihalascu

Dec 9, 2021 at 7:48am ET

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Audi has confirmed that the successor to the R8 supercar will be all-electric. Audi Sport’s head of product marketing, Linda Kurz, told Roadshow that the next R halo car will not feature an internal-combustion engine.

While we don’t know if there will be a next-generation R8, whatever comes after it will be electric. Audi Sport has already started electrifying its lineup of RS cars with the RS e-tron GT, so Kurz says it will do the same thing with the R-branded cars.

“Our next challenge will be to transform the R segment, and the R segment is going to be fully electric. This is our job for the next decade.”

Linda Kurz, Audi Sport head of product marketing

That doesn’t necessarily mean Audi will offer a next-generation R8, but it’s clear that the brand’s next halo car will have a pure electric powertrain. Kurz added that the electrification process of its high-performance cars will start happening pretty quickly. By 2026, 80% of Audi’s RS lineup will feature some sort of electrification, including all-electric models.

Gallery: 2015 Audi R8 e-tron

2015 Audi R8 e-tron

Audi fans will recall that in 2015, Ingolstadt introduced the all-electric R8 e-tron with a starting price of €1 million ($1.1 million). Available only in Europe, the R8 e-tron was discontinued after only one year, with fewer than 100 units sold.

Fast forward to 2021 and the Audi R8 is available as a V10 Performance model, offered with both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations. The transition from a gas-guzzler like the R8 V10 Performance to an all-electric R model is very abrupt, but there’s really no other way to do it if Audi wants to comply with the coming Euro 7 emission standards expected to come into force in 2025.

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For now, Audi Sport’s only electric vehicle on sale is the 2022 RS e-tron GT quattro super sedan. Twinned with the Porsche Taycan Turbo, the high-performance EV features a 93 kWh battery that powers two synchronous electric motors delivering a total of 637 hp in boost mode (590 hp standard) and 612 lb-ft (829 Nm) of torque.

Audi says the RS e-tron GT quattro does 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.1 seconds and hits a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The EPA estimated driving range is 232 miles (373 km).

Audi's current flagship EV, the RS e-tron GT quattro, in action

Watch Audi RS E-Tron GT And Porsche Taycan Turbo Compared On Road

Source: Roadshow

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