Sources Wager That 3rd Gen R8 Will Be a Hybrid

First things first – no decision has actually been made (yet)

Falling under the Audi Sport umbrella, the performance division of the four rings is being tasked with doubling its sales in the next three years. And in order to do that, they’ll need to get into a new market. Take, for instance, the RS6 Avant, which is now available for the first time in the U.S. Is the company setting things up to bring the R8 to a greater market too? Perhaps. But with greater market comes greater regulations. 

Photo courtesy of Rain Prisk

Audi Sport Managing Director Oliver Hoffman explains

TopGear recently interviewed Audi Sport Managing Director Oliver Hoffman on this very subject. Here’s what he had to say: “There’s no decision yet regarding the technology and platform of the next-generation R8. But with this next generation, we have to fulfill all the regulations worldwide. That means it will be a car with an electrification part. But the current model is the base model for our customer racing and we have to fulfill that demand in the future.” So, in short, there will be a new iteration of the R8, even though sales have been less than stellar. And in looking at today’s market, there’s a lot of competition out there, so why not offer something different in that price category? 

>>Join the conversation about a new Hybrid R8 right here in Audiworld.com.

What about that part where he says “a car with an electrification part”?

This is just what has piqued so many people’s interest in the upcoming vehicle. You see, there haven’t been great sales in Europe when it comes to this model with just a bit over 1,000 is sold in Europe on an annual basis. That being the case, the division has focused more on the R8 GT3 and GT4 race car models. And because they’ll be focusing on honoring this model in particular, the new R8 will likely be a hybrid instead of being fully electric. 

>>Join the conversation about a new Hybrid R8 right here in Audiworld.com.

How would it work, mechanically speaking?

The R8 shares a lot of design and components with the exotic Lamborghini Huracan. So, if we use this vehicle as a case study, in order to maintain its position in the market, Audi will want to avoid downsizing the V10 to a turbo V8, where it’ll be on the same level, if you will, as a Ferrari or McLaren. So, in order to do this, the R8 and Huracan would retain the V10 and just add electric to it, making it a hybrid model (ta-da!). 

>>Join the conversation about a new Hybrid R8 right here in Audiworld.com.

What does adding electric to a V10 do exactly?

When it comes to meeting all the regulations worldwide, while also increasing the power to meet customer expectations, going electric is the way to go. With electrification, you can easily increase the full system power. This will, in turn, create an issue with weight and sound. Namely, the Audi sport team will have to work on a way to keep the weight of the vehicle down, while adding an electrification system to it. And in terms of sound, with electrification, the powerful sound of an engine churning out 800 horsepower will be all but lost to the gentle hum of electricity. 

>>Join the conversation about a new Hybrid R8 right here in Audiworld.com.

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