AudiETron

Fleet-Footed Greenery: Audi to Cap e-tron Sales At 1,000 Units?

Audi e-tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi may not be positioning itself as a "green brand," but it's still putting a rather big toe into the environmentally-friendly waters of electric sportscars with its R8-based e-tron, which is reportedly headed for production in 2012.

As a refresher – as if you needed one – the e-tron debuted as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with some truly impressive statistics: four separate electric motors with 230 kW (313 horsepower) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 pound-feet) of torque (sort of), which is enough to push it to 62 mph in a mere 4.8 seconds.

So, um... want one? The line forms at the rear, and you'd better not dawdle as Audi says its only planning to build 1,000 of them. Naturally, pricing has yet to be set, but it's reportedly expected to be "above R8 levels." Regardless, with all those lithium ion batteries and their associated electronic gadgetry, we don't imagine that Audi plans to make much of a profit when it finally goes on sale in two years.

Gallery: Audi e-tron concept

[Source: Autocar]

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2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Audi e-tron Concept

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

The Audi R8 ranks among the fastest cars you're likely to see on the road, but the German automaker isn't about to rest on its proverbial laurels. After the V8 version came the 5.2-liter V10, and while the turbo-diesel V12 TDI version never made it past the concept stage, Audi has tantalized the torque-happy alternative-energy crowd with the e-tron concept.

Based on the R8 and unveiled last week in Frankfurt, the e-tron replaces the gasoline-burning engine in the existing supercar with no less than four electric motors and an enormous lithium-ion battery pack to supply it with juice. The result? A relatively modest 313 horsepower, but an absolutely bonkers 3,319 lb-ft of torque. And no, that's not a typo: it really does have more than ten times the torque of most of the cars. To go with the alternative power, Audi updated the e-tron's design details. But don't take our word for it: have a look for yourself in our high-resolution photo gallery below.

Gallery: Audi e-tron concept

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