Next Audi R8 to share hybrid tech with Lamborghini Asterion

Wed, 08 Oct 2014

The second-generation Audi R8 isn't far away, but when it arrives, it could serve to seriously shake up the supercar market according to Audi research and development boss Ulrich Hackenberg.

Speaking to Car in the UK, Hackenberg confirmed quite unequivocally that a plug-in-hybrid model and a pure electric were coming. And as with the current R8, the next-gen model will borrow from Audi's Italian cousins at Lamborghini.

"We are able to make the R8 a plug-in hybrid," Hackenberg told Car. "The Lamborghini Asterion shows this is possible – that car uses the platform of the R8. We will see an increase in the efficiency of high-performance cars – they have to meet CO2 regulations of the future in order to survive."

As for when we can expect these electrified high-performance powertrains, Hackenberg pointed to 2015 and, again like the current model, it'll share a lot with Lamborghini's new entry-level model, the Huracán.

"The R8 successor will come next year and we have developed a platform that you can see in the Lamborghini Huracán today. We will have different powertrains available, though. And in the R8 E-tron we will have more than 400 kilometers (English for about 250 miles) range."

Considering our last rumor regarding the next-gen R8 claimed that the PHEV model was off the table, and now Hackenberg is saying it could happen again, the only thing we can be sure of is that we've no idea what will power the next-gen Audi supercar. Of course, we can't wait to find out.

By Brandon Turkus