Audi has revealed its upcoming Audi R8 e-tron has lapped the Nurburgring in an impressive 8mins 9sec or just 5sec slower than the company’s conventional 424bhp 4.2-litre V8 powered Audi R8 at the hands of former grand prix driver Marcus Winkelhock during a recent round of testing at the legendary German circuit.
The lap time is described by Audi as a world record for a production car with electric drive.
It beats the 9min1sec mark set by Peugeot with its one-off EX1 concept car back in April. A subsequent attempt by Toyota in an electric powered Radical race car called the TMG EV P001 netted a non-production car Nürburgring lap time of 7mins48sec.
The German car maker also says its Mercedes-Benz SLS E-cell rivaling electric powered two seater will romp to 62mph from standstill in just 4.7sec – just one tenth of a second slower than its more conventional petrol powered sibling, proving the new car, which Audi hints will cost upwards of €200,000 or £160,000, won’t lack for overall performance when sales begin later this year.
Set to get its first public airing in production guise at the Paris motor show in September, the R8 e-tron shares its appearance with the standard R8. But the changes made to accommodate its two rear electric motors and lithium ion battery pack as well as a series of lightweight construction measures and altered suspension are sufficient enough that Audi’s outgoing head of development, Michael Dick, describes it as being all-new.
“Don’t let the styling fool you. The construction, drivetrain and chassis have been completely altered. It is essentially an all-new car – from the ground up, says Dick.
At the heart of the R8 e-tron, which Audi will place into limited production at the end of 2012, is a pair of mid-rear mounted synchronous electric motors – one for each wheel. Developing a total of 376bhp and sturdy 605lb ft of torque, they draw energy from a 550kg lithium ion battery mounted within the middle tunnel and provide direct drive to the rear wheels. In normal every day driving the hi-tech drivetrain is said to provide an overall range over 200km.
Electricity used to charge the batteries is recuperated on the run via an energy recovery system that works in combination with the R8 e-tron’s carbon ceramic brake system as well as a plug-in arrangement via a socket mounted in the new Audi’s left-hand side bodywork.
To off-set the added weight brought on by the battery pack, Audi has also provided its new zero emission supercar with a reworked spaceframe structure that incorporates both aluminium and carbon fibre as well as new composite plastic components within the suspension and a reworked interior with carbon fibre backed seats among other changes. In production guise it is claimed to weigh 220kg more than the R8 V8 at 1780kg.
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Very limited range again....
Another car that shows electric-only powered cars still have a long way to go to be good enough to replace internal combustion. Only 125 miles or so, from more than half a ton of batteries, surely cannot be considered good.
This should make a nice
This should make a nice company car for company directors in London - no BIK tax until 2015 and no congestion charge.
Just one thing though?
The price,seems every new inovation these days is the price of 1 bedroom flat,and it's the same price as the new Vanquish,what would we have just now?
my choice
The Audi, as new Vanquish just seems so old tech now