Like the TT, Audi is mulling several concepts for an R8 replacement.
Most favored currently is a concept gestating under the codename “Avus Evo”. CAR reports that harkening the 1991 Audi Avus concept car has been an influence for the design proposals so far… which explains the project name.
CAR believes its architecture will also be SSP derived, and a specific component set dubbed SSP 61 that is also being readied for the next-generation Porsche Taycan and e-tron GT should there be room for both Avus and e-tron GT in the Audi lineup. Further details shared by CAR suggest it could utilize Porsche-derived cell chemistry with assistance from Rimac. Audi would turn to Dräxlmeier to co-develop power packs and drivetrain modules.
If Audi goes this EV route, the proposed numbers are staggering. The battery will spec in at a rumored 127 kWh, with output via two motors at 1,341 bhp, charging time from 10-80% in 10 minutes or less, 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds and a potential top speed of 200 mph.
If the CAR intel is correct, the Avus Evo project could reach the market by late 2028.
A second concept to replace the R8 is a hybrid codenamed AU634/0. The car is said to be “not unlike the Mercedes AMG Vision One-Eleven”, with long front and small singleframe grille framed by slim lights. At the rear, it could be devoid a rear window, almost harkening the Rosemeyer concept in that regard. This proposal was rumored to be favored by Audi’s former boss Marcus Duesmann but has been stalled as Audi reconsiders its future since his departure.
While less likely, Kacher via CAR Magazine suggests this concept has been given serious consideration. Though it has fallen out of favor, it hasn’t yet been fully rejected either… at least not yet. To pull off such a car, Audi would have to co-develop with Lamborghini as it has in the past with R8, twinning it with their upcoming Huracán replacement.
If Audi goes this route, Kacher believes the car will take more inspiration from the PB18 concept. Should AU634/0 get the nod of approval, there are key advantages which would align with the brand’s F1 efforts. A car with “potent petrol engine running on e-fuel backed up by two or three brawny e-motors and a next-level KERS efficiency generator” is very closely related to the F1 format Audi will debut in 2026. That direct link to the F1 project suits Audi’s long-held statement of building cars somewhat related to what it races.
So, what do we know about Lamborghini’s Huracán successor? It’s set to debut in late 2024 and is known internally as Project LB634. At the heart of it is an all-new 920 bhp 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 said to rev to 10,000 rpm and developed in-house by Lamborghini. The car shares carbonfiber monocoque, suspension and hybrid drivetrain with the already debuted Lamborghini Revuelto.
From that car the Huracán successor is also believed to use a tri-motor layout. This means one motor between the V8 and the 8-speed twin clutch transmission, boosting power and filling in gaps while the engine builds boost. The other two motors are mounted at the front wheels, with an active torque-vectoring system. All combined, expect acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 208 mph. The car’s ability to slow or accelerate each front wheel independently also opens a whole new level of dynamic handling capabilities. Alternatively, a range of about 12 miles is expected in pure EV form.It will feature a 7.2 kWh battery, larger than the 3.3 kWh of the Revuelto.
