Rumor: Audi Plans R8 Replacement Dubbed e-tron GTR

Audi didn’t exactly make a secret of its considerations to replace its livable supercar R8 offering with something electric over the past year or so, but new rumors suggest a final decision may have been made. CAR Magazine’s Georg Kacher laid out what intel he’s heard in order to better define the car. 

It’s not like the writing wasn’t already on the wall. As Ferrari and the rest of the supercar pack have gone with turbos in order to reach cleaner emissions, the R8 has remained decidedly pure to the internal combustion game. The Audi, and its Lamborghini Huracan brand sibling, are normally aspirated V10 offerings only… decidedly old school in terms of propulsion. Not one to shirk a technological shift, Audi apparently plans to leap frog the supercar pack by going directly to electomobility.

Enter what appears to be dubbed the e-tron GTR. Yes, that’s a play off of the upcoming more practical e-tron GT, teased since the LA Auto Show (and in the Avengers movie franchise) as a low-slung Sportback that shares an architecture with the Porsche Taycan. The e-tron GTR appears to be a further exploration of the e-tron sub-brand, particularly in a form much more akin to the R8. However, like the e-tron GT, the e-tron GTR will be derived from the group’s J1 electric platform developed by Porsche.

Kacher places the timeframe of the GTR at around 2022. Power will be over 650 bhp, provided electrically from rumored solid-state batteries and with a 0-62 mph time near 2-seconds. Wireless charging and 300-miles range have also been hinted.

If our quick rendering above looks familiar to you, that’s because it should. The drawing is a sketch released along with the PB18 concept car shown last year in Monterey. Response to the PB18 concept was positive enough that it appears a fair amount of the car’s design could very likely carry over to the e-tron GTR.

More Information: CARMagazine.co.uk