Before the roaring race cars took to the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, only the squeal of protesting tires could be heard as Audi’s E-tron, clothed in an R8 skin, took to the track.

Audi gave fans a demonstration of its electric sports car before the endurance race began as part of “Le Mans vers le futur.” Vers le futur was a demonstration run specifically for electric vehicles to showcase the future of sports cars. Five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela was behind the wheel to put the R8 E-tron through its paces.



Audi has shown no less than two E-tron sports car concepts, a larger one at the Frankfurt auto show last year, and a second, smaller one in Detroit this year. Both concept models were based on the R8 platform. The E-tron that took to the track was based on Frankfurt’s larger, more powerful E-tron, sans fancy concept exterior.

R8 E-tron used the same powertrain setup as the E-tron shown at Frankfurt, with electric motors driving each wheel to give it Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel-drive. In total, the motors put out 313 horsepower and 3319 pound-feet of torque, according to Audi, but we’ve shown that to be more like 252 pound-feet of torque at the crankshaft. However you look at the torque, it’s enough to propel the car to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds.

The car continues with the R8’s handling balance as the batteries are placed behind the driver where the gasoline engine would sit in a conventional R8. This gives the car a 42:58 front/rear weight balance, but the car exhibits extremely neutral handling coupled with Audi’s centrally controlled electric Quattro all-wheel-drive. Also featured was active torque vectoring, seen on the new S4’s optional rear differential, but because of the nature of the centrally controlled electric motors, it can be implemented only by using electronics on the E-tron.

We know Audi is planning a production E-tron to compete with Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming electric SLS AMG. Audi has also made no secret about turning E-tron into a corporate sub-brand similar to TDI or Quattro. The first of the E-trons is slated to go into production alongside the R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo next year.

Was the R8 E-tron taken around the Circuit de la Sarthe our first look at the production car?

Source: Audi