Bruce Newton•7 Mar 2013
NEWS
GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Audi considering street-legal Le Mans-winner
Diesel-electric Audi R18-based supercar could take on Ferrari, McLaren, Lambo and PorscheAudi may join the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and fellow VW Group brands Lamborghini and Porsche in the supercar club by co-opting its 2012 Le Mans-winning R18 e-tron diesel-electric hybrid as the basis for a high-end limited-edition sports car positioned above its R8.
The ambition was confirmed by the company’s development boss Dr Wolfgang Durheimer at the Geneva motor show, where the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Lamborghini Veneno supercars were revealed and vied for star billing.
“I think if we do an ‘R’ e-tron quattro from the Le Mans car we could compete with these cars,” he said.
The forthcoming Porsche 918 supercar also fits into that group of potential rivals. Dr Durheimer oversaw the development of that car during his long tenure in charge of R&D at Porsche, before taking over at Bentley and Bugatti and then last year moving on to the management board at Audi.
He envisioned a “derivative of the R18 e-tron quattro that did the 2012 victory in Le Mans as a street-legal car, with hybrid, high-tech, extremely fast, diesel-driven race engine, limited volume.”
Dr Durheimer said such a car would sit above the existing R8 coupe and convertible and be at the pinnacle of performance within the Audi range, but would have to be environmentally friendly as well as having the supercar swagger that appeals to car lovers.
“It’s looking cool, it’s high performance, it’s the thing for car aficionados and this will not change in the future,” he said.
“I think we will have passion, emotions and high performance also in our mind in 10 years from now and 100 years from now, because it is human sport to find out who is the fastest.
“But we need to do this in a sustainable way, not to waste energy, but also to save energy and think about the next generation that comes [after] us to find a world still in good condition. But we will not stop racing and we will not stop finding out who is the fastest 0-100.”
The R18 e-tron quattro’s drivetrain certainly fits the environmental challenge, combining a rear axle conventionally powered by a 3.7-litre turbo-diesel V6 generating over 360kW with an electrically powered front axle that retrieves its own power from a flywheel accumulator mounted alongside the driver in the cockpit.
Dr Durheimer made it clear that such a road car would not be branded as an ‘R’ car such as R8 or R9.
“This will be a supercar and not the R9,” he said.
“If the Le Mans car for street-legal use comes it would not be an R8 or R9. R8 is a platform in the mode line and the race car doesn’t have anything to do with it. It would be derived from the race car.”
But Dr Durheimer ruled out any hope of the R8 e-tron pure electric sports car being revived. It was killed off late in 2012 – a decision Dr Durheimer played a key role in.
“I didn’t hold back with my opinion about the upside and the future of an R8 e-tron and finally we [the Audi board] decided together that this car would not be sold to customers and would not be a solution we offer for series production purposes,” he said.
“It is a technology carrier in its classical sense, it is full of new ideas, it has extraordinary electric power and it lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 8:09 minutes… But we could have sent several thousands of dollars to each of the customers who wanted to buy one – and still lose money.”
Tantalisingly, Dr Durheimer spoke of the potential for more Audi sports cars below as well as above the R8, as well as many other opportunities across the range – including four more Q-series crossovers.
“There is tremendous room for different A models, Q models and R models. And at present we have Q3, Q5 and Q7. So no Q1, no Q4, 6 and 8. So this is four ideas automatically and four spaces that could be filled out in the future.”
Amid all this talk of more sports car and other models, Dr Durheimer stressed the next-generation R8, which is due in less than two years, would be more focussed than the current model.
“It will be less A8 and more R8,” he said. “I think in terms of feel for the road, direct response, being even more into the driver’s position, the R8 has room for improvement.
“So it will become sharper, more responsive, steering feel different from today and more race application on the brakes side.”
The facelifted version of the original R8 will be launched in Australia in the next couple of weeks.
For our full coverage head to motoring.com.au for the latest Geneva motor show news
Photo gallery of 2013 Geneva motor show at motoring.com.au
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Written byBruce Newton
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