Audi reportedly working on electric supercar to replace the R8

Audi just showed its limited-edition R8 Decennium at the 2019 New York Auto Show, but a new report says the Audi R8 is not long for this world. In the midst of the German's push toward electrification, Audi apparently has plans for an electric supercar that would replace said R8. The report from Car cites unnamed Ingolstadt sources, though, so do take it with a grain of salt.

We're told that the car destined to replace the R8 is to be called the E-Tron GTR, and it won't have any whisper of an internal combustion engine hiding amidship. The car will reportedly be based off the platform developed for the Porsche Taycan, which should be a comprehensively sporty vehicle in its own right. Audi R&D chief Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler said, "Audi Sport must have e-mobility, and our icons for the brand must become electric. We are in discussions regarding the sporty cars and the RS vehicles — they will need a change towards e-mobility."

Obviously that doesn't signal the end of the R8 as we know it, but it does show where Audi's heads are at when it comes to electrifying its sporty vehicles. The report goes on to give a few details of what Audi will be working with on a potential electric supercar. To begin, a 0-62 mph time of just over 2 seconds is expected — Audi will need that to compete with other stupid-fast electric supercars. Then a 300-mile range is apparently being targeted, and all-wheel drive is essentially a given with an Audi. Upwards of 650 horsepower from three electric motors is also expected to be on tap. Some information that seems far less feasible is the use of solid-state batteries and wireless charging predicted for the car. Putting these technologies to use on a production car still feels farfetched today, so we'll believe it when we see it. This supercar isn't terribly far away either — predicted for 2022 introduction — so Audi has a lot of work to do if those technologies were to be part of the roster.

We asked Audi if it would comment on these revelations and were told by a company spokesperson that there is "no info to share at this time. We are evaluating all options."

No surprises there. Of course, we'd be saddened to see the R8 as it is today leave the Audi lineup. The screaming V10 from Lamborghini gives this stunner a raucous personality at a good price point as far as supercars go. Hopefully we'll learn more of Audi's electric performance future soon, as it prepares to launch the E-Tron next month with the E-Tron Sportback and E-Tron GT to follow in the months to come.