Audi R8 to Be Reborn As EV Hypercar by 2022: Report

Unverified industry rumors claim Audi has no intention of bringing back the R8 for a third generation. The problem is deeply rooted in stagnating sales and further exacerbated by tightening emissions standards and Volkswagen Group’s new role as an environmentally conscious manufacturer. However, new reports indicate the brand’s flagship supercar will see new life as a cutting-edge electronic menace. A real Max Headroom, if you’ll forgive the incredibly dated reference.

The R8 has already done some time as an EV. Back in 2015, the German brand launched an e-tron variant that swapped the model’s stellar V10 for an all-electric drivetrain. But the project was short lived. After years of teasing and endless production headaches, the million-dollar R8 e-tron quickly died. Audi pulled the plug after less than two years of production, leaving fewer than 100 examples to tend to its legacy.

While that might cast a rather long shadow on the new model, Audi is keeping electrification in mind from Day One this time around.

According to a report from Autocar, the brand intends to move forward on the new R8 as part of its drive to sell 800,000 electrified models by 2025. By offering a dominant and electrified performance vehicle, Audi could broaden the currently limited appeal of EVs by roping in enthusiasts. And the new R8 should be able to manage. The outlet claims the new R8 could boast as much as 1,000 bhp and launch itself to 62 mph (100 kph) in about 2 seconds.

These lofty claims have been verified by absolutely no one from the company, but the mere existence of Audi’s PB 18 e-tron shows that the brand is working on something. The tri-motored, all-wheel drive shooting brake certainly looks like a next-generation R8, showcasing what the automaker could do with loads of cash and the help of advanced technology. While the production model is unlikely to have the PB 18’s centering cockpit, it could adopt its Blade Runner-esque styling, unique storage solution, and electric powertrain.

There are, however, holes to poke in this plan. The Lamborghini Aventador and Huracán, the latter of which exists as the R8 sister car, are supposed to be replaced with plug-in hybrid models for their next incarnation. Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali said this is being done to help meet rising emission standards and preserve the oversized internal combustion engines for another generation. The target date for both cars falls somewhere between 2020 and 2022, right around the time we’d expect to see the new R8.

That would seem to indicate that Audi would take a different approach than Lamborghini, which sounds like something Volkswagen Group would be against. Then again, there’s nothing stopping them from launching the new EV platform and sharing it with Lamborghini on some entirely new model. It might even be a good way to test the waters of EV acceptance, as the brand probably doesn’t want to take too many risks with its entry-level car.

[Images: Audi]