I should probably just lay this out there. The likelihood of the Audi R8’s return in Mk3 form is far from confirmed and may even be unlikely. We’ve all been navigating rumors over the last few months with bated breath, and no further recounts of Audi executives mentioning at it have emerged in weeks… if not months. However, I’ve heard some relevant points and wanted to relay them.
RUMOR 1 R8 MK 3 WAS FINALIZED
According to our friend at Auditography who chatted with us in a podcast recently about his Speak up for Audi movie, the R8 Mk3 design had been finalized. The car, based on the Temerario as logic and some recent rumors suggest, was essentially a go. However, as Audi approached the incredibly expensive process of uprighting its own F1 team, the R8 Mk3 met its end at the hand of balancing budgets. So too did the nearly-ready-to-test Audi Le Mans Hypercar program.
This is worth putting in perspective for those like me waiting on bated breath for the R8 road car to return. Likely Auditography heard this from one of his own sources inside Audi. In as much, we place a high degree of reliability in this rumor. Even still, the timing would suggest the finalized R8 Mk3 was a Lichte era design, meaning it would match today’s design language more readily and not that of the upcoming era led by Massimo Frascella. Depending how far along the car was, its era-incorrect timing may not make it as simple as dusting off the design and deactivating the pause button on the project.
Audi boss Gernot Döllner has confirmed a concept car that will both show Audi’s new design direction and also likely match an upcoming production car more accurately than more recent Audi concept cars. Whether or not that car is a mid-engine sportscar based on the Temerario, a sportscar based on the Porsche 718 EV that we also know Audi is testing, or something else entirely remains to be seen.
RUMOR 2 EVOLUTION OF LAMBORGHINI TEMERARIO
In a July 11th story by Car Magazine emanating from the Goodwood Festival of Speed where Lamborghini debuted its new Temerario GT3 racecar program, the UK-based automotive monthly magazine revealed some new intel about the Temerario – the car on which any next-generation R8 would be based.
As you may recall, that Lamborghini is powered by a 789 bhp biturbo V8 with flat-plane crank capable of 10,000 RPM sending power to the rear wheels, while two electric motors on the front wheels combine for an all-wheel drive configuration sporting a total system output of 907 bhp.
According to Car, Lamborghini is also plotting a more affordable rear-wheel drive version. Lamborghini’s chief technical officer Rouven Mohr (a.k.a. “Dr. Crazy” in Audi during his time at Audi) suggested such a setup would require a “different kind of hybridization”.
While Mohr didn’t give details, Car theorized at what this could or would mean a removal of the front wheel motors, leaving only the one sandwiched between the engine and 8-speed DSG transmission. Such a setup would make the car a conventional hybrid and similar to what Porsche is already doing with the T-Hybrid system in the 911 GTS type 992.2 where the hybrid helps provide boost for the turbo and reduces lag.
In the case of the Temerario GT3 racecar, there is no hybrid system. Such hardware isn’t homologated for GT3 use and would likely add complexity and cost to the program that racing teams probably wouldn’t want. It would also add weight.
Car asked Mohr about this and while stating that it wasn’t a priority, he also didn’t rule it out. “I would not completely exclude [a non-hybrid Temerario], but it’s not on the priority list. The probability is quite low, never say never, but at the moment, we have a lot of other things to do, and I would not bet my money on it. Just because we’re going racing and it’s not a hybrid, it doesn’t mean this would be the right approach for the street,” he stated to Car.
SUMMARY, WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR R8?
The idea of a rear-wheel drive Temerario makes sense when considering the R8, namely because it would make the car more affordable and help slot it below the bulk of the Temerario lineup. While such a move would rule out quattro if that’s all that was adopted, it would still mean a configuration closer in configuration to what Audi would be racing in F1. That’s compelling, and maybe compelling enough to skip quattro entirely.
Another compelling option would be a totally non-hybridized version for purists. We’d probably even lobby for such a car over a quattro version. No doubt the draw to do quattro for Audi would be obvious, but a more visceral, lighter and cost-effective sibling product of the Temerario would go a long way at proving to car enthusiasts that Audi’s still got it. Such a configuration would be notably close in configuration also to the original turbocharged and rear-wheel drive R8 LMP1 Le Mans racecar. Now, pilfer a manual transmission from the Porsche partsbin, wrap it in a gated shifter and we’re guessing Ingolstadt would win the hearts of driving enthusiasts around the world.
Of course, this is all still theoretical. Still, a fan can dream can’t he?