For the first time since its official debut at this year’s Geneva motor show in March, we’ve caught Audi’s electrified R8 e-tron out in the wild, running tests on the Nürburgring track.
The sample car is missing the debut model’s aerodynamic wheel covers, but otherwise, it looks just like the R8 e-tron we saw in Switzerland, orange glowing sideblades and all.
The electrification of the R8 has been an on-and-off story for Audi, which had originally planned to offer a battery-powered version of the first generation R8 in the beginning of the decade, but then decided to can the project before re-introducing it on the second iteration of their mid-engine sports car.
In this form, known internally as the R8 e-tron 2.0, it features a T-shaped lithium-ion battery placed into the center tunnel behind the passenger compartment that energizes a pair of electric motors on the rear axle that channel 340kW or 456hp and 920 Nm (678.6 lb-ft) to the rear wheels via single-speed transmission. Audi quotes a zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 3.9 seconds and a maximum driving range of 450 kilometers (280 mi) on a single charge of the battery.
As for availability and pricing, we contacted an Audi representative who told us that the R8 e-tron 2.0 “will not be sold in North America” and that it will be “offered exclusively in Europe” in limited numbers beginning from 2016.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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