Allegedly Official Sketches of Audi e-Tron Spyder Concept with Diesel-Electric Hybrid Drive

These reportedly official sketches showing a drop-top version of Audi's e-tron Detroit concept (see here) have been making the internet rounds in Germany. Named the e-tron Spyder, the new concept model is said to make its first public outing at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September.

The reports from Germany go on to say that unlike the coupe variant which only made use of two electric motors producing a combined output of 204-horsepower, the Spyder model runs on a hybrid (parallel) system incorporating a mid-mounted 3.0-liter V6 TDI diesel engine driving the rear wheels through a DSG transmission and a pair of electric motors turning the front wheels.

Stay tuned to Carscoop as we'll update this story as soon as we find out more.

Source: AMS & Autobild

READ MORE - Allegedly Official Sketches of Audi e-Tron Spyder Concept with Diesel-Electric Hybrid Drive

Mystery Audi Sports Coupe Believed to be "Anniversario" Concept Study Celebrating the Original Ur Quattro

Remember the videos we brought last Saturday of a mystery Audi sports car filmed at a ski resort in the Alps? Well, the videos may have been hastily removed, but we have some news on the car. According to a report from Autobild, the car in question is a concept study called the "Anniversario" and it will make its world premiere at the grand opening of the Paris Motor Show on September 30.

While initial thoughts were that the car could be the R4, the German magazine claims it's a special study to celebrate the original, 1980s Ur-Quattro sports coupe adding that it is based on a shortened platform of the RS5. However, power will not come from the RS5's 450HP 4.2-liter V8, but from a five-cylinder turbo unit, most likely sourced from the TT RS.

We'll have to wait until the Paris show opens up before we get to find out more.

Source: Autobild

Gallery: Audi Sport Quattro

READ MORE - Mystery Audi Sports Coupe Believed to be "Anniversario" Concept Study Celebrating the Original Ur Quattro

Audi to Begin Fleet Trials of A1 e-tron Electric Supermini

Just six months after the presentation of the A1 e-tron concept car at the Geneva Salon this past March, and Audi has announced plans to begin fleet testing of it extended range electric premium hatchback.

The Ingolstadt-based automaker said that by the middle of next year, 20 examples of the A1 e-tron will take to the streets of Munich as part of a pilot project undertaken by Audi AG in partnership with E.ON, the Munich municipal utility company Stadtwerke München (SWM) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Approximately 200 new charging stations will be installed throughout the Munich city area, including private garages or parking garages. Audi claims all of the charging stations will be supplied with electricity generated from renewable energies.

The goal is to enable experts to address a number of issues ranging from the data transfer between the driver, vehicle and electric filling station to the power grid, to the use of smartphones as the central interface for the driver.

Audi's answer to the BMW Group's MINI-E features a similar setup with the range-extending EV Chevrolet Volt making use of an electric motor to drive the front wheels and a small single-rotor Wankel engine that recharges the lithium-ion battery when its energy is depleted.

The electric motor delivers an output equivalent to 102-horsepower allowing the A1 e-tron to reach a top speed of 130km/h (81mph). The car is said to have a driving range of around 50 kilometers or 31 miles on a fresh charge.

If the range extender Wankel engine is used to recharge the battery, the A1 e-tron can cover an additional 200 kilometers or 124 miles of range. Audi says that according to a draft standard for the computation of fuel consumption for range extender vehicles, this represents a fuel consumption of 1.9 l/100 km (124mpg) with a CO2 equivalent of 45 g/km (72.42 g/mile).

"We are trying to find a concept that requires no compromises," says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, who continues, "Electromobility means more to us than just electrifying conventional cars. Instead we are dedicated to a holistic approach to all aspects of the topic. We hope that this fleet trial will enable us to gain broad insights into the behaviour but also the expectations of our customers regarding their dealings with electric cars. Of course, the data that we will collect are another aspect. This market and technology feedback will enable us to further expand our expertise in electrification."

READ MORE - Audi to Begin Fleet Trials of A1 e-tron Electric Supermini

Audi Unveils Quattro Concept to Celebrate its Original Rally Monster's 30th Birthday

Audi has finally revealed its 'quattro concept' in Paris to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original car's 1980 debut. The new quattro, much like the original, gets driven around the rally stages of your dreams by a turbocharged 5-cylinder.

In this case, though, the 2.5-liter unit makes 408-horsepower / 300 kW and uses a 6-speed manual transmission to drive all four 20-inch wheels with 480 Nm / 354 lb-ft. Behind the center-locking dubs are carbon-ceramic discs wearing 6-piston grippers.

With its high-output 5-pot and diet, the new quattro is said to be able to spring to 100 km/h / 62 mph in a scant 3.9 seconds and return a fuel economy of 8.5 liters/100 km (27.67 mpg US).

That's fairly quick and efficient, and it's all thanks to a fantastic 9.48 lb / horsepower ratio and a huge weight reduction.

Using the venerable RS5 as a starting point, designers have cut 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) out of the wheelbase - now 2.6 meters - and chopped the roof by 40 mm in order to save weight from the get-go. Dimensions officially come in at 4.28 m long, 1.86 m wide, and 1.33 m tall.

In order to reach a svelte 1,300 kilograms / 2,866 lbs (200 kilos / ~441 lbs less than the TT RS), Audi used an abundance of aluminum and carbon fiber. The carbon fiber was primarily used for the hood, hatch, spoiler, and other bits. Designers have also thrown out the rear seats, which have been replaced with a helmet / luggage shelf.

Within the front fascia is an all-LED light setup (same goes for the rear), between which sits Audi's signature wide-mouth grille. Move to the front wide-body fenders and appreciate that underneath lies a 5-link suspension with "key components" in aluminum.

At the rear, the separate springs and dampers of the track-controlled trapezoidal-link suspension use elastic bearings as mounts on the steel subframe. Now look at it from about 20 feet back and you'll see that the fenders just appear to be too integrated and not sharp enough to do the original car justice.

Open the door to see a very nicely detailed (albeit a bit spartan) interior. The two 18-kilo passenger seats have either three- or four-point harnesses, while the driver faces a fully digital display which has two modes, "normal" and "race". If opting for race mode, Audi says the graphics "revisit and refine" the Ur-quattro's digital display.

Above the readout, Audi has given the driver some more throwbacks: four buttons (two on each side) to control the stopwatch and MMI functions. One such multimedia function is the neat web-radio, which uses a cell phone to connect to radio stations worldwide. Need more? There's also a readout of the rally driver's "prayer book" (track description) available in race mode.

So, dear readers, is this a fitting tribute to the original bad boy of rallying, or is this simply another marketing campaign using the memory of awesomeness to push some more product?

By Phil Alex

READ MORE - Audi Unveils Quattro Concept to Celebrate its Original Rally Monster's 30th Birthday