Audi R8 could be back with Lambo bones

Audi is edging towards committing to a return of the R8 supercar, with a third generation of the iconic two-door increasingly likely to adopt hybrid power – from the Lamborghini Temerario – if it is indeed sent into production.

Any halo model must be commercially viable, with Audi Sport boss Rolf Michl telling carsales that approving a model like a new R8 would mean proving its technological impact and business case.

The comments come amid growing industry speculation the brand is working towards a successor to the R8, potentially leveraging Lamborghini’s latest electrified supercar architecture.

Audi Sport is in the midst of renewing its range of practical sports cars, having enjoyed a positive reception to the new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) RS5.

Next off the blocks for the performance division is the iconic RS6 wagon, while RSQ5 development mules have also been spotted testing.

Once the current phase is completed, the focus may turn to how it could renew the R8 supercar, with Michl explaining to us that the brand knows it needs to get the timing right for any model.

“A halo car, for me, has two functions: first of all, to show Vorsprung Durch Technik, like the R8 – first V8, first V10. The second thing is to also have an impact on the brand,” he said.

“I wouldn’t consider (a halo car) overrated, but I think it always has to be the right point of time. At the moment, I would rather see a split between hypercars and sports cars with an everyday use.”

Michl is at the coalface of balancing demand for high-end performance cars with the burden of getting petrol engines through emissions laws in Europe and Australia.

“In really challenging times – we’ve talked about regulations and very cost-intensive developments – every car has to have a business case,” he said.

“It wouldn’t make sense just to calculate a ‘brand-levering’ effect. You really have to see that intense spending has a valid chance to realise specific earnings.”

Just as both R8 generations shared their genes with the Lamborghini Gallardo and Huracan, platform sharing would again assist the business case.

UK publication Autocar has suggested a new R8 could be twinned with the Lamborghini Temerario, adopting a PHEV powertrain combining a 588kW twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with three 110kW YASA aerial flux electric motors.

“If we would do this, you have to look for synergies in a way where they are feasible,” Michl said, explaining that he would need to ensure a distinct character for any Audi model.

“I would consider this approach for every car project, like we do with the PPC platform and MLB. It is no miracle that, for example, an RS Q8 and Lamborghini Urus share some elements. I think that makes sense, independent of the car.”

The Temerario would make a compelling base for a third-generation R8, with hybrid powertrains finding acceptance among supercar buyers, in contrast to high-end electric sports cars that have sometimes fallen flat.

“People have to develop [their tastes] step-by-step. With a hybrid car, you still have the sound, which you can see with the Temerario, but you still have the electrical part, and the benefits from it. My first experience when I drove the Revuelto was really amazing,” Michl said.

“You see a lot of manufacturers going this way (adopting hybrids for supercars), and I think they have a reason for that.”

Michl suggested Autocar’s reporting of a 2027 debut for a potential R8 supercar could be a touch premature: “wow… maybe it is another chapter of speculation”.

Should a platform sharing arrangement again be locked in with Lamborghini, many expensive and time-consuming development steps could be skipped because the Temerario is already on the market.

Audi Sport still has a number of core models to finalise, with the RS6 now entering the frame.

There is also the question of how Audi will replace important compact performance cars like the RS3 and RSQ3, which may be of greater importance than an R8.

*Lead image generated by AI

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