Report: Audi E-Tron to Get R4 Badge

[Administrator]

Audi has already confirmed that the E-Tron concept that made its world premiere at the Frankfurt auto Show last month will see production, and now recent reports suggest the car will go under the R4 badge.

The news comes from the U.K.'s AutoExpress, which also suggests gasoline versions may be available and that this vehicle would be based on the next generation of the Porsche Boxster and Cayman platform. This would mean that it would slot in between the TT and R8.

Like the concept, the production model will use four electric motors (one for each wheel) to deliver Audi's quattro all-wheel drive performance like never before. The car will make over 300-hp and more than 3,000 ft-lbs of torque with a 0-60 time of just under 5 seconds.

The R4 is expected to see production by 2012.

More: Report: Audi E-Tron to Get R4 Badge on AutoGuide.com

[Davey_Dee]

Should just be called Audi E-Tron imo, because to me it isn't really an R8 and I don't like the sound of R4 for some reason

[AnOutsider]

I think R4 is fine, it kind of positions it as a stripped-down R8 (both looks and performance-wise). It's also along with Audi's "system" (A4, A8 etc)

[randombloke]

here's the actual auto express article on it:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/au...ing_to_go.html

makes a lot of sense given the performance.

[AnOutsider]

Sooooo much better than that red and chrome concept. That thing was FUGLY!

[Davey_Dee]

Still disappointed by the mile range their predicting, 155miles isn't a long way. It may seem slightly better for those of us in the UK but in the US it isn't much at all. Hopefully by the time it's in production (2012 is it?) there'll be charging points around just like petrol stations, but even then charging probably takes a long time.

[AnOutsider]

There's no doubt they're behind Tesla (whose roadster can supposedly do well above 200), but it's 10x better looking and larger. That alone would make me pick it over the roadster.

As for range, true, short range, but look at the volt, they're talking what? 60 miles?

[randombloke]

I think it's only an auto-express generated mock-up of what they think it will look like - looks like they have based it on the e-tron concept, the vw bluesport and the r8 spyder.

http://images.google.com/images?q=vw+bluesport

[ianerrid]

Agreed, looks a great toy (in the nice sense of that word..) shame the interior is currently exactly the same as the R8 though, perhaps they'll change it for production...

[willyjp]

Still disappointed by the mile range their predicting, 155miles isn't a long way. It may seem slightly better for those of us in the UK but in the US it isn't much at all. Hopefully by the time it's in production (2012 is it?) there'll be charging points around just like petrol stations, but even then charging probably takes a long time.

Right about that! 155 mi. won't get you across the LA basin and back:rolleyes

This weekend I went 463 miles on a tank of fuel in my v8...and touched 100+ speeds on several occasions....when conditions (rarely) allowed. Pretty dry when I tanked her: took 22.6 gallons into a 23 gallon tank.