Junior R8 To Join Audi’s Sports Car Range

It looks like Audi will another sports car, a junior R8, that sits between the TT and R8 to rival Jaguar’s upcoming C-X16.

An Audi insider told Auto Express that “if the go-ahead was given today, it would take around 3 years to put into production”.

The new car, expected to be called the R4, will take design cues from the e-tron Spyder concept car and designed as a convertible. The Audi insider added: “If you start with a roadster, it’s easy to make a coupé version too [just a matter of putting on a roof].”

Unlike its big brother the R8 which comes in either V8 or V10 guise, the R4 will be powered by a conventional engine, such as the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbo engine already serving the TT RS. It produces 400bhp (294kW). A hybrid powerplant is also on the cards. “Even in our sports car ranges, customer demand for efficiency is increasing,” the insider told Auto Express.

Like all of Audi’s high performance range, the R4 will be exclusively all-wheel-drive, Quattro in Audi speak. In the hybrid model, there will be no mechanical link between the mid-mounted engine driving the rear wheels and the electric motor, powering the front wheels. The car will be equipped with a sophisticated torque vectoring system as seen on the e-tron Spyder.

Based on its application in the e-tron Spyder, the hybrid system can run in front-drive electric only mode for around 48km, at speeds up to 60km/h.

It is uncertain at this stage whether the R4 will be built on an all new mid-engine platform or a cut-down version of the R8’s aluminium spaceframe. The new mid-engine platform was previewed in the VW BlueSport at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show. There are words that it could also underpin a new entry-level Porsche.

Regardless of which platform Audi decides to use down the line, the R4 will no doubt be a popular addition to Audi’s ever expanding range.

Source & Photos: Auto Express

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