2012 Audi R8 e-Tron

[gazza1]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIQIDl09seM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIQIDl09seM[/ame]

Audi R8 e-Tron stunned the automotive community equally with its progressive style and its four completely electric motors. Rumored to be released in late 2011 as a 2012 Model Year, the Audi R8 e-Tron represents the four rings' eco-version of the exceptionally well received Audi R8 v10. Of course the Audi e-Tron drive concept contains the most elegant power management systems engineered to date without sacrificing the exorbitant joy of driving a high-performance coupe. With a 0-62 mph time of 4.8s and almost limitless torque, the Audi e-Tron is set to square off with the phantom Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell concept.

Thanks for the post

Will be quite a engineering marvel, but will it come with "optional engine soundtracks" to play through the speakers?

Aside from driving boredom has anyone calculated what the increase in emissions would be once the world coverts to "save the planet cars" and we build more power stations to run them all?

Apologies for the cynicism and head in the sand.

[exhilR8]

I'm already on the list to get one. I'm actually excited about it, looking forward to stealth acceleration. I have already built a carport for it at work, made of solar panels, whch can be seen in the picture below, which also shows my placeholder car.



The solar array generates approximately 30,000 watts continuously at mid-day. The R8 E-tron will only be able to take about 22,000 watts continuously for a 2.5 hour full charge. This means that
I will always be producing more power than the car can use, which means that this car will probably spend its entire usable life being run on solar electricity alone.

Also, I also might lose a few dollars a month in the large payments I'm already getting from the power company, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make in order to explore the possibilities of elegant power and STEALTH.



I'm thinking about gettig it in Silver metallic. Any suggestions?

[AnOutsider]

I'm still up in the air over it. It's going to be high-priced of course, but for the price, you get less than you'd get from competitors (i.e. the Tesla Roadster).

[exhilR8]

Good to know that another R8 owner is looking at this technology as well. I had been considering the tesla, but its corporate infrastucture seemed alot moree shaky to me.

Also, the performance numbers may not reflect the true strengths of the cars. The E-tron is supposed to have torque-vectoring independently to all 4 wheels, which could open up possibilities for better handling capabilities.

In a head-to-head comparison at the Silvretta rally in July, the Over-wieghted R8 E-tron prototype beat all comers including the Tesla:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2010...REEN/100729973

I haven't been looking at the performance numbers lately, but I'm cuious, what do you see as the possible advantages of the Tesla?

[AnOutsider]

fair point exhil (and Audi should have pushed that fact more than the BS 3k torque numbers). The roadster is too small and not to my visual tastes, but I do have a model S on order to replace our S5.

It should be interesting to see what happens when Tesla and Audi both have their sports cars out. I like both brands, but if Tesla reworked the Roadster with a design more in line with the Model S, I might opt for it over the e-tron.

*edit* anyone remember what the range is supposed to be on this? Less than 200 miles and it's not worth it, that's another draw of the Roadster (technology, not design) for me. Though it could be cool to pretty much replace my current stable with e-variants (S5 -> Model S, R8 -> R8 eTron). Sadly, don't know how I'd replace the Q5

[exhilR8]

Audi claims a range of 154 miles, Tesla claims 240 something. For my purposes, the 80 something mile difference doesn't translate into much greater practicality, because both would be ineligible for meaningful interstate highway grand touring. Until the range gets over about 600 - 700 miles, the longish recharge times would tend to discourage lengthy road trips.

I so enjoy long road trips in the R8 V10, I'm not sure that I'm going to be willing to give it up when the R8 E-tron arrives.

[maegeri]

Has anyone driven a Tesla? What does it sound like? Does the different sound detract from the driving experience?

[dailydriver]

Has anyone driven a Tesla? What does it sound like? Does the different sound detract from the driving experience?

A sales guy brought the Roadster Sport model out to my office (they have a dealership facility in Chicago) so I got some decent amount of wheel time with it. Very nice ride - smooth acceleration, well balanced, good handling, deep but narrow foot well. The screens were pretty small but overall a really well thought out and executed machine. Looks and sized much like a Lotus Elise or Exige. The torque comes on immediately and it launches very fast. It is fun but having no exhaust note in a sports car really diminishes the driving experience for me. I will likely get into the S sedan model when they come out though.

This is the one I drove:

[maegeri]

Last year I visited the Tesla factory in Menlo Park. I think the cars are assembled there but equipment, engines, batteries, etc are made elsewhere. In back the assembled cars are driven around a test area and it was kind of strange to see these fast looking cars zipping around without exhaust sound.

[desperado]

This is a great discussion. I moved these posts to a new thread in order to get rid of the spammer that started things rolling. Sorry for the inconvenience. -- D