We just lately mentioned goodbye to the R8, however for a number of years, Audi toyed round with the thought of constructing one other devoted efficiency machine. Between 2010 and 2013, the 4 Rings labored on a sports activities automobile idea beneath the “Skorpion” inside designation. We found the intriguing supercar on the August Horch Museum in Zwickau, Germany.
The thought behind the Skorpion was to successfully engineer a road-going model of the Le Mans-winning R18 endurance race automobile. Sure, the one with a diesel engine. The aero work was speculated to take after Audi’s DTM vehicles of these days. Audi says this aborted supercar would’ve been positioned above the second-generation R8, which was being developed across the identical time. The R8 Mk2 went into manufacturing in 2015.
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A number of powertrains have been thought-about for the Skorpion, each gasoline and diesel engines with outputs various from 400 to 550 horsepower. Audi’s engineers explored rear- and all-wheel-drive variations, together with a hybrid setup pairing an ICE with an electrical motor. Nonetheless, it by no means got here to be because the German model pulled the plug on this thrilling undertaking.
Audi should’ve been critical about launching the Skorpion sooner or later, contemplating Automotive and Driver reported again in April 2013 concerning the automobile going into manufacturing. Rumor has it the plan was to provide simply 333 models, due to this fact making it simply as unique because the R8 GT and the A1 Quattro. It was supposed to make use of the R18’s platform with a carbon fiber monocoque bolstered with an aluminum honeycomb.
Again within the day, it was believed the Skorpion would use the race automobile’s 3.7-liter V-6 diesel with an electrical motor, making a mixed 700+ horsepower. The ICE would’ve pushed the rear wheels whereas the e-motor would’ve powered the entrance axle, enabling an electrified Quattro setup.
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As loopy as the thought of a diesel supercar or hypercar could appear, Audi had achieved it earlier than, albeit solely in idea guise. The 2008 R8 V12 TDI had a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V-12 oil-burner with 493 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. It even got here with a six-speed handbook gearbox, routing the diesel muscle to a Quattro all-wheel-drive system. This setup enabled a dash to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds and a prime velocity of over 186 mph.
Very like the Skorpion, the R8 V12 TDI was left on the reducing room ground as properly. Nonetheless, its engine went on to energy the bonkers Q7. Audi has hinted at a brand new flagship efficiency automobile, which is more likely to take the form of an electrical R8. Hopefully, it will be extra profitable this time round for the reason that outdated R8 E-Tron was a business flop, with fewer than 100 models bought.