Audi’s decision to embrace electric vehicles could
eventually result in the demise of the iconic R8. The news isn’t entirely all bad
as Car Magazine reports the model would effectively be replaced by a sporty new
halo vehicle dubbed the e-tron GTR. Rumored to debut in 2022, the
model will reportedly have a 95 kWh solid-state battery which powers three
electric motors that produce a combined output of 670 hp.
This would enable the car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in a little
over two seconds.
Those are some impressive numbers and so it the
quoted range of 483 km – nearly a 161 km more than
e-tron crossover. The sports car is also rumored to have a wireless charging
capability, but there’s no word on how long the recharging process would take. Like the e-tron GT, the e-tron
GTR would be “based heavily on the Porsche Taycan’s J1 platform.” The report
doesn’t go into specifics, but says the model will have an aluminum monocoque
chassis and all-wheel drive.
The report is certainly interesting, but it should
be taken with a grain of salt. Volkswagen has previously said a solid-state
battery production line should be ready by 2025, but mass production likely
won’t occur until sometime between 2025 and 2030. That being said, this isn’t the
first time we’ve heard about Audi planning to build a high-performance electric
vehicle. Back in January, Audi Chairman Bram Schot reportedly confirmed plans
to put the PB18 e-tron concept into limited production.
The concept is largely identical to the rumored
e-tron GTR as it featured a solid-state battery and three electric motors that
could produce up to 764 hp. This enabled the car to
accelerate from 0-100 km/h in “scarcely more” than two seconds.
