The Audi R8 Could Return in 2027 With Lamborghini Hybrid Guts
The new Lamborghini Temerario has some compelling hybrid technology that its sibling Audi could borrow for a new R8 sports car.
In the Volkswagen Group’s 2024 financial results presentation, company leadership admitted that the Audi automaker had slipped up in recent years and somewhat lost its sporting way, bogged down by an early push for EVs amid a lineup of mostly SUVs, with the R8 supercar allowed to phase out of production with no direct replacement, gas or electric. That’s about to be reversed, according to the rumor mill, which suggests that Audi is working on a next-gen R8, once again sharing parts with a Lamborghini sibling but this time as a hybrid. Here’s what we think we know so far.
Autocar is reporting that a next-gen R8 design and engineering proposal has advanced beyond the initial review stage and is now in full development for production, now directly backed by Audi’s chairman. The new R8 will get most of its powertrain components from sibling Lamborghini in the VW Group stable, namely from the new hybrid Temerario sports car. This continues the original legacy of the first-gen R8’s linkage to the Huracan models that shared powertrain components, in particular a sweet V-10 engine.
Last time around, the R8 was a gas-only offering, with either that V-10 or an entry-level V-8 powerplant. This time the R8 gets Lambo’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 unit paired with hybrid electronic components. The Lamborghini Temerario’s setup uses three electric motors to boost power up to a max of around 900 horsepower, which the Audi should also benefit from. However, again, the Audi is expected to be more tuned for everyday and casual street driving, and should be tailored to suit slightly different needs than the sportier and harder-edged Lamborghini.
The Temerario is said to max out at 210 mph, and Audi is said to be targeting a sub-3.0-second to 60 mph acceleration time. We expect both a coupe and convertible bodystyle to return for the R8, only with all-wheel drive, and production is said to be slated for 2027. Future further tuned models could produce more than 1,000 horsepower, making the next-gen R8 the most powerful Audi ever put on the road. It’s unclear if the next-gen R8 will adopt the old e-Tron name, so we’ll see what they decide to call it. If it’s only a hybrid, why not just call it the R8? Whatever it’s called, it’s also expected to go endurance racing again, which should be exciting for fans and future owners.
