Audi is set to release a smaller version of the R8 and it is going to be called the R4. Rumors about the R4 started when some Audi insiders gave strong hints that the car is about to go into showrooms. The R4 will be a 2-seater sportscar, which means that it will sit between the TT and the R8 and will go up against the new Jaguar C-X16. It is too premature to get excited though. “If the go-ahead was given today, it would take around three years to put into production,” explained an Audi insider.
The R4 will be a convertible as it takes inspiration from the e-tron Spyder. There is actually a logical reason why it is best to start with a roadster. It is because it is much easier to make a coupe from a convertible rather than the other way around. It is just a matter of putting a roof on the car.
At first, the R4 will feature a conventional 2.5 liter five-cylinder turbo engine that produces around 400bhp. A hybrid model though will follow as demand for efficiency increases.
The conventional R4 will have a quattro 4-wheel drive but the hybrid model though will get a clever torque vectoring system similar to that of the e-tron Spyder. This is necessary because there will be mechanical link between the mid-mounted engine powering the rear wheels and the electric motor driving the front.
With this kind of drivetrain, people can expect string efficiency. This is proven already by the e-tron Spyder that can run up to 37mph for around 30 miles while in front-drive electric-only mode.
One of things uncertain fro the R4 is whether it will sit on a new mid-ranged platform or smaller version of the R8’s aluminum spaceframe. But no matter what the platform will be, for sure the R4 would be a popular smaller brother for the R8.
Source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk
