Next Audi R8 to be PHEV; Temerario’s twin – report

As the original Audi R8 (pictured above, right) was to the Lamborghini Gallardo, and the second-gen R8 (pictured above, left) was to the Huracan, so the next-gen R8 will be to the Temerario, reports Autocar, sharing the Italian supercar’s plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain when it debuts late-2027. This would make it not only the first hybrid R8, but the first to go turbo.

The British publication understands that development of the ultimate Audi has passed the feasibility stage, and engineering is underway. Besides the powertrain, the R8 is expected to take the Temerario’s key structural elements, electronics and chassis.

However, like before, the third-gen R8 – which may bring the R8 e-tron name back from the dead – should be less hardcore and more ‘dailiable’ than the Lambo, and there should be Coupe and Spyder flavours to choose from.

Unveiled last August, the Lamborghini Temerario retires the Huracan. Its L411 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 (not the Urus’ engine) pushes out 800 PS from 9,000 to 9,750 rpm and 730 Nm of torque between 4,000 and 7,000 rpm. It has a flat-plane crankshaft, titanium conrods and a superbike-style finger-follower valvetrain with a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating, and can rev up to 10,000 rpm.

That’s the ICE part – the electric part comprises two front motors (299 PS/2,150 Nm combined; you read the torque right) and one 150 PS/300 Nm rear motor that sits between the mid-mounted engine and a new eight-speed DCT. Altogether, you get 920 PS, which sprints the Temerario to 100 km/h from rest in 2.7 seconds. Top speed is 343 km/h, and a 3.8-kWh lithium ion battery yields an EV range of under 10 km.

If the upcoming R8 shares these performance numbers (and it wouldn’t be far off), that’ll make it the most powerful and fastest road-going Audi ever, beating the RS e-tron GT Performance‘s 925 PS and 250 km/h top speed, but maybe not its 2.5-second century sprint time.

To avoid stealing the Lambo’s limelight, the R8’s 2027 return is set to coincide with the arrival of more powerful Temerario models, Autocar says. And when those Temerarios become R8s, that means a hypothetical R8 Performance could be knocking on the door of 1,000 PS.

Moreover, compared to the Huracan/second-gen R8’s spaceframe, the Temerario’s all-new aluminium spaceframe structure has 50% fewer components, 80% less welds and is 25% stiffer.

Autocar further reports that the decision to bring back the R8 was based on an agreement reached between Audi’s board and the Volkswagen Group on how the brand can transition to an all-electric line-up, as well as Audi’s push to develop FIA-homologated versions of the new R8 for the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

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