AUDI R8 PRIMED TO RETURN AS LAMBO-ENGINED SUPER-PHEV

New supercar in line for 2027 launch with Temerario's twin-turbo V8

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Audi is preparing a dramatic return for the R8 as a plug-in hybrid supercar that in its most extreme form could become the brand's most powerful and fastest road-going model to date, after a rethink about its transition into an all-electric era.

The new R8 is tentatively slated for a debut in late 2027. Development of the Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911 rival has progressed beyond the feasibility stage, understands Autocar, and engineering is under way with the backing of Audi chairman Gernot Döllner. The new two-seater will be twinned with the Lamborghini Temerario, reigniting Audi's supercar alliance with its Italian Volkswagen Group sibling. This partnership was forged in 2006 with the launch of the original R8 and its mechanical twin, the Gallardo - a move that allowed Audi to step up into the supercar ranks for the first time. The collaboration was renewed in 2015 for the second-generation R8 and Huracán. Across its first two generations, from 2007 to 2023, a total of 44,418 R8s were sold globally.

A similar approach has been taken for the third-generation R8. The new Audi supercar is expected to use the drivetrain, key structural elements, electronics and chassis of the Temerario - the successor to the Huracán launched last year. Audi will again differentiate the R8 from its Lamborghini sibling with a focus on everyday usability. Both coupé and cabriolet bodystyles are likely.

The resurrected Audi R8 will draw power from Lamborghini's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8.