Recent events give validity to a high-performance mid-engine sports car positioned below the Audi R8
Both Porsche and Audi recently revealed new high-performance turbocharged sports cars. Porsche introduced the 718 Cayman S and Audi revealed the TT-RS, a vehicle that is surprisingly faster than the Porsche.
German car magazine recently reported that Audi is planning a new car that fits in below the R8. The vehicle already has an internal codename and will supposedly share its platform with the next generation Porsche Cayman/Boxster.
In light of recent events from Porsche, this story now has a lot of validity. Just recently, Porsche merged the Cayman and Boxster into the 718 series. This is indicative of a heavy investment in mid-engined machinery by the Stuttgart manufacturer.
At this point in time, this mid-engined sports car is just speculation so we don’t have any pictures or images to go by. However, graphic artist extraordinaire Theophilus Chin took it upon himself to share his vision of the 2020 R8 Spyder. It was loosely based on the Sport Quattro Concept from 2013. Interestingly enough, the laser headlights unveiled with that concept eventually found their way into the European market production R8.
Like the design of the vehicle, the power train of the mid-engined spyder is pure speculation. However, the 3.0-liter turbo found in the S4 Avant and Sedan would be an ideal candidate. However, experts are predicting that this same engine will eventually find its way into a V6 powered R8.
Volkwagen recently made a very interesting engine for the R400. The 2.0-liter TSI producing 420 horsepower could also make its way into the vehicle as it has been rumored that the Audi picked up the engine for future Audi models. It certainly makes sense in light of the current trend of making very small but powerful turbocharged engines since they help reduce emissions.
At the same time, we cannot discount an all-electric power train. Currently, BMW is not able to keep production of their i8 up with demand.
Source:AutoBild
