The Audi R8’s absence from the scene might end up being a short one. Having left the stage in 2024, the Audi R8 could make a big return by 2027, but as a plug-in hybrid rather than in an all-electric format.
According to Autocar, the third generation of the R8, if it comes to pass, will keep neither the naturally aspirated V10 nor a dedicated Audi platform. Instead, it will borrow the PHEV powertrain and chassis from the Lamborghini Temerario.
An R8 on steroids: 1,000 horsepower in the cards?
If the rumours are confirmed, the next future R8 could become the most powerful Audi in history, with output exceeding 1,000 hp.
It would use the Temerario's hybrid 4.0L twin-turbo V8, supported by three electric motors. The Lamborghini already displays 907 hp, and an even more radical version is in preparation, which suggests an R8 with hypercar-worthy performance.
This technological leap would allow it to surpass the Audi RS E-Tron GT Performance, until now the brand's most powerful car.
Lamborghini DNA, but Audi identity
While it will share its technical base with Lamborghini, this future Audi R8 will retain its own identity, notably with a greater focus on everyday use.
In this perspective, it should be more comfortable and accessible than a pure supercar, thus competing with the high-end versions of the Porsche 911 and the Mercedes-AMG GT.
Like with previous generations, we can expect Coupe and Spyder versions, with a distinctive design and a personality specific to Audi Sport.
A heritage to perpetuate on road and track
Produced like its predecessors at the Böllinger Höfe plant, this future hybrid R8 could also give rise to competition versions.
The Audi R8 LMS has marked the history of motorsport in endurance and GT3, and a track version of the next generation would prolong this victorious lineage.
If Audi goes ahead with the project, the third-generation R8 promises to be a revolutionary hybrid supercar, combining extreme power, Lamborghini technology, and Audi versatility. It remains to be seen whether purists will accept the abandonment of the V10 for an electrified powertrain...