It's a show car, but one which, refreshing, does not have the word 'concept' in the title. Audi E-Tron is all-electric sports car - and one that will be put into production.
Audi will make examples of e-Tron 1000 from the year 2012, and we've driven the car is the first prototype. It's a two-seater with a mid-mounted battery and four motors (one for each wheel) that, overall, producing 313bhp.
E-Tron looks suspiciously like the R8 but there is more than that. It's shorter in wheelbase, has a shorter overhang and sit lower. This is similar in having the same width and that this prototype using hacked R8 aluminum spaceframe chassis. Several suspension components are also divided and, while it probably will remain the case in the production version, e-Tron will get spaceframe itself.
Similarly, the body will be different in the final version. Here are made of carbon composites to keep your weight down to 1600kg but although Audi says the e-Tron will be sold in "on the R8" prices, the composite was too expensive to be practical on such a large production run. Some clip-on panels may carbonfibre, as standard or option, but more likely will use aluminum Audi. Also expect some of the e-Tron's aerodynamics and active bodywork luxury accouterments to soften or disappear altogether.
The lovely thing about e-Tron is that already, though in the early stages of development, it felt like the right product. From the moment you set eyes on close-ups, it emits solid expression and preparedness.
Truth is, this is still a bit flaky, but it really can be understood for a car that has been inserted through the production does not work too far. Slamming a door and window glass is responsible for destroying. Beautiful interior, minimum, dry and clean but when I said it looked a million dollars, I'm afraid that what's really valuable.
But still, the panel gaps are super tight. Metal ribs running in the back of exceptional cars and pop up with a satisfactory completion vim to allow cooling air into the battery. Charge-socket located on the buttocks and also, is a thoughtful finish. Rear Wheel (stolen from the R8 V10) sat aims carbon-ceramic brakes. In short, it's like some people think not only about how e-Tron looks, but also how it goes.
That's how it turned out well. So e-Tron will have similar performance figures to the Tesla Roadster - 150 mile range (variable depending on how you drive it), 0-62sec in a number starting with four and a top speed of 124mph, is limited because as the amount needed to maintain the energy losses running car on speed.
The prototype is not as fast as it has not - reduce the limited power of 50mph and ran into a brick wall that is limited to 62mph, but it gets there faster (I would say in about six seconds this time).
I've driven several cars with electric drives now, but new things are still not faded. The fourth joint motor makes 313bhp but it's not just 3319 pounds of torque and delivery and response, uh, electricity. You ask, you get. Thanks to a more powerful motor in the rear than the front, sending power is split 30/70 front to rear.
Meanwhile weight distribution, the 48/52, combined with the power output, should make e-Tron is a neutral corner, if with less agility than one R8. Because the battery reaches right to the car roof as well, articles that may be completed roll over and feel less agile than the petrol R8. Although the brake pedal has felt very solid - much better than the petrol R8's. More intuitive steering too heavy, and direct and accurate.
Test drive our tantalisingly short so I can not tell you too much about how e-Tron corner. It rides firmly, as most do prototype and concept, but the trip / handling finessing has not even started again, so it can turn off completely different. Clearly shows promise.
Ditto the interior may be changed, to something a bit more conventional. This would be a shame if it happens - The Audi design team has gone for something lighter and cleaner than ever will, because they feel that they can go take a risk with electric cars. I hope they keep their nerve.
Here's the rub, of course, you will not be until 2012. And when you can you'll see the wrong side of R8 money for a car that, yes, is much slower than the R8 and, yes, have limited range and, yes, takes up to six to eight hours to charge from flat ( two and a half from the high output socket).
So you have to really want one. However, given the technology will filter through the other cars in and given an e-Tron second only zero-emission exhaust is desirable and sports, I hope there are a large number of people out there who do not want one. I will probably end up being one of them.
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