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Report: Audi's Latest E-Tron Confirmed As R4 Preview

 
9 3,448 views Jan 13, 2010
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Audi e-tron Concept

HI-RES GALLERY: Audi e-tron Concept

We first brought you word that the e-tron would go to production, possibly as the R4, last October. Then in December Audi said production would be limited to about 1,000 units. Now a report is out that the latest e-tron concept, looking decidedly less like the R8 than previous e-tron concepts, is a preview of what the final model will look like.

Destined to slot between the R8 and TT ranges, the R4/e-tron is expected to get a range of powertrains, not just electric power. The all-electric version will be the halo car of the model line, but the gasoline-powered version (or versions) will undoubtedly be the volume sellers.

We already know about the latest e-tron's electric powertrain: 313 horsepower, 0-60 mph times of 5.9 seconds, top speed of 124 mph and a range of about 155 miles. But what will the gasoline-powered version look like?

We're expecting a supercharged six-cylinder along the lines of the new engine found in the 2010 Audi S4. At 333 horsepower, that's enough to put it a solid step behind its big sister, the 420-horsepower R8, while its mid-engine layout and sharp looks will serve to differentiate it from the TT, and even the similarly-strong turbocharged inline five-powered TT RS.

A number of changes from the show-car prototype are in order before the R4 makes production, however: expect the carbon-fiber body panels to be replaced with more affordable and mass-producible steel and aluminum, the wheels will lose their 35-spoke count for more standard units and the interior will be redesigned to work with production Audi materials and shapes. But we're not too worried about the details as long as Audi keeps that beautiful silhouette.

[InsideLine]





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Comments (9)

  1. By  Dan Posted: 1/13/2010 12:24pm PST

    Great looking concept but im not sure how much room there is in the audi lineup for something like this.
    It would be nice if this was a tt replacement. I think that would make alot more sense. The tt is a VERY slow seller (in the norheastern US anyway)
     
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  2. By p2k986 Posted: 1/13/2010 2:53pm PST

    This e-Tron concept is getting boring. Audi's sport
    car concepts in the past few years have been following
    the same template. Most of the readers on this
    board just say this e-Tron is nice just because it is
    an Audi. Critical thinking ability is needed. Audi
    concepts have not been that good, except for the
    Sportback(A7) last year, since Walter de Silva
    moved to VW. The new design chief Stefan Sielaff is
    a student of Walter. Even though Walter still is the
    boss of Stefan, Walter does not say anything bad about
    Stefan's concepts as long as those concepts are
    "good enough" and they follow the template laid out
    by Walter. When Walter was the design chief of Audi,
    those concepts he put out were very very creative and
    good. This e-Tron R4 has the LEAST creativity out of
    all the Audi concept cars in the past decade and this
    is the obvious truth. On the bright side, the A5
    Sportback released last year is very very good. I hope
    the new A7 due later this year will be a good one.
    Audi's engines are slowly catching up with BMW's since
    the best engineering grads from Germany want to work
    for Audi.
     
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  3. By WizardsLore Posted: 1/13/2010 3:10pm PST

    I love Audi's with the RS4 being one of my all time favourite cars with its understand looks but brutish power.
    this car though is ahybrid of many varying cars.
    the general shape of a TT, the front end of a Honda S2000 with an R8 deep grille added, and the rear haunces of an lexus IS. it looks tight but needs to be more orginal.
    and WTF is it with the name ?? E-Tron?? have they moved on from "I" as the next gen vernacular or just trying to tell everyone that it may jsut be an electric vehicle? and "Tron" they should disassociate themselves from that film franchise although if i remember correctly there is a similar shaped car in one of the movies.
    Also im trying to remember bu either lexus or Audi themselves had a similar shaped car to this in I-robot and Minority Report respectively !
     
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  4. fb_100000275684479 avatar Michael Escobar Posted: 1/14/2010 4:29am PST

    I like the look, kind of marrying the roof profile of the gorgeous A5 coupe with the bottom half of an R8, albeit on a smaller scale. My advice to Audi, drop the V8 powered R8. The R8 5.2FSI V10 should be the flagship model, with this "E-tron" utilizing the blown V6 from the S4, then, get rid of the TT-RS, keeping only the TT-S since the RS would obviously be stepping on the E-tron's heels.
     
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  5. By peter Posted: 1/14/2010 8:24am PST

    This car looks like a nissan gtr copy cat. they should be more original or innovative
     
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  6. By Bruce R Posted: 1/14/2010 9:52am PST

    Surely this would use the next gen Porsche Gayman platform. Seems like it's too close not to, now that Porsch and Audi are one and the same, kinda.
     
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  7. Bruce R avatar Bruce R Posted: 1/14/2010 9:57am PST

    This R4 would surely used the Porache Gayman chassis now that Porsche and Audi are one (happy?)family.
     
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  8. By Agent Posted: 1/14/2010 12:42pm PST

    Uh, Bruce, you mean Cayman, not Gayman. Also, Audi is not under Porsche or vise versa. You are thinking about Volkswagon and Porsche. Also, porsche would never let anyone use the Cayman or 911 platform. That is why they are going to move its producetion back in their building, soon.
     
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  9. By  veterinary clinic Posted: 1/26/2010 10:51pm PST

    That is great news, on all fronts really.
    I've been waiting on something like the BlueSport for all these years and they finally seem serious about building it. Plus, along with it comes an electric vehicle as well?
     
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