German Car Forum

Reports out of France and Germany indicate that in addition to the all-new A8 and A5 Sportback, Audi plans to reveal two versions of the R8 at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

Both Auto Motor und Sport and L'Automobile report that Audi will finally reveal the R8 Spyder at the IAA expo, with the French pub saying the drop-top supercar will be available with either the standard 420 hp, 4.2-liter V8 or the newly released 525 hp, 5.2-liter V10, allowing Audi to compete directly with the 911 4S, Turbo and convertible models.

However, the big news is the rumored reveal of an electric version of the R8. Details are scarce, so it's unclear if the R8 concept will be a pure EV, a diesel/gasoline-electric hybrid, a limited production model or, more likely, just an indication that Audi is looking at future powertrains. Regardless, we'll be on the floor in Frankfurt to bring you both the reveals if/when they happen.

Via: autoblog

The new R8 Spyder will feature a full convertible soft-top roof

Audi currently sells two versions of its R8 supercar, the original 4.2L V8 model and the recently revealed 5.2L V10 version, but there are two more versions in the works, one of which will be unveiled at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The two new versions are the R8 Spyder convertible and high-performance RS variant. Rumors of a possible electric R8 concept have been shot down by Audi, however.

News earlier this week from Auto Motor und Sport claimed Audi would also present an electric concept version of the R8 at the upcoming Frankfurt event, though it wasn't clear whether it would have been some kind of hybrid or an all-electric version, but it's a moot point now as an Audi spokesman told Edmunds that the rumors are "not true."

As for the R8 Spyder, a spokesman for Audi previously confirmed that it has been delayed to allow time for sales of the V10 hard-top to eventually die down. The Audi rep also confirmed that the Spyder will feature a full convertible soft-top roof instead of a smaller targa set-up, which was the preferred choice of engineers back in Germany.

Other major changes for the car that are expected to make it to production will be additional air intakes located behind the seats, as well as a pair of safety roll-over bars. Sadly, the R8’s trademark aluminum side blades have been removed. The placement of the fuel filler cap will also be changed due to the missing rear pillars, while changes under the sheet metal will likely include extra chassis strengthening.

While the base model will likely stick with the hard-top’s 420hp (313kW) 4.2L V8 engine, there’s talk that Audi may shoehorn the 5.2L V10 into a mid-level model and reserve the 5.0L twin-turbo V10 from the RS6 for a high-performance RS-variant.

The differences between the RS-variant and the standard V8 and V10 model will extend beyond just horsepower outputs. The chassis has reportedly been modified to accommodate the extra power, gaining upgraded suspension, steering and braking systems. Its arrival isn't pegged until late 2010 or early 2011.

This year’s Frankfurt Motor Show will be very busy for Audi as the event is also expected to see the debut of the new A5 Sportback model, which you can read about by clicking here.

Source

Rumors in the European press that Audi would bring an all-electric R8 supercar (or an extended range EV that uses a diesel range extender) to the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September have been denied by an Audi spokesperson. The anonymous Audi representative told Edmund's Inside Line that the stories in Auto Motor und Sport in Germany and L'Automobile in France were "not true."

Instead, Audi will stick to the liquid fuel path and show off the R8 Spyder with gas engines. While we certainly don't fault Audi for sticking with what it knows, the possibility of a limited edition R8 EV challenging Tesla made for a good night's dream, anyway.

Source: Autoblog

Too bad then!