The final V10-powered Audi R8 rolled off the production line a year ago, with the future of the supercar’s nameplate unclear – though there was speculation it would be reborn as an electric vehicle (EV).
That now appears to not be the case, with Autocar reporting the third-generation Audi R8 will enter production in 2027, becoming a twin to the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Lamborghini Temerario.
Audi’s first-generation R8 was twinned under the skin with the Lamborghini Gallardo, though the four-ringed model launched with a 4.2-litre V8 before later scoring the raging bull’s 5.2-litre V10.
The connection between the two Volkswagen Group brands continued in the second-generation R8, which shared its underpinnings with the Lamborghini Huracan.
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Temerario -
The Temerario’s V8 engine and PHEV system
Lamborghini launched the Temerario last year, ditching the Huracan and R8’s shared V10 engine with a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, mated with three oil-cooled axial flux electric motors – one integrated in the V8 housing, and another two on the front axle.
The result is a system which can produce up to 677kW, significantly more than the 456kW peak of the V10. A 3.8kWh lithium-ion brings electric driving range of just under 10km.
According to Autocar, the third-gen R8 would continue with tradition by being a more subtle choice than the related Lamborghini, both in its design and driving dynamics.
A launch date of late 2027 would reportedly align with the arrival of more powerful Temerario variants, which could mean the R8 will be offered with even more potent powertrains as soon as it rolls off the production line.
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Both R8 generations
The publication claims this could result in outputs of more than 740kW, well and truly making it Audi’s most powerful road car ever, exceeding the 680kW figure of the RS e-tron GT performance electric sedan.
Despite the Temerario’s PHEV platform offering minimal electric driving range figures, Autocar reports the reborn R8 could be called the R8 e-tron, adopting the moniker exclusively used on Audi’s EVs but previously used on PHEVs.
This name was expected to only be used if the third-gen R8 was to become an EV, with previous overseas reports suggesting an electric version of the supercar would be based on the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming System Scalable Platform (SSP).
It’s worth remembering there has been an electric R8 e-tron before, with fewer than 100 examples produced in 2015, based on the second-generation model.
The battery-powered R8 scored two rear electric motors, producing 340kW and 919Nm combined, while a 92kWh battery pack allowed for up to 450km of driving range.
These were just some of the 44,418 R8s sold between 2008 and 2024, 687 of which were delivered in Australia.
Local deliveries of the Audi R8 ended in late 2021, following the end of production for the engine tune used in Australian models.
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