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Audi R8

It seems that the design crew at Audi is among the best in the industry. Not only has it managed to churn out sexy coupes including the A5/S5 and the R8, but now it is keeping each car’s attractive design while hacking off the top. Earlier this year, the 2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet and 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet made their debut in Paris, and now Audi is set to launch a more high profile convertible courtesy of the R8. Changes to Audi’s halo supercar are minimal, which means that the car will keep its sexy lines and breathtaking performance with the added enjoyment of an open-air cockpit. The 2011 Audi R8 Spyder will make its official debut next week at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The transformation from hardtop to convertible meant that some of the R8’s signature cues be eliminated, but Audi managed to do so without ruining the car’s look, shape or stance. The most noticeable omissions from the Spyder are R8’s signature sideblades as well as the glass-encased engine compartment. The final major change involved moving the fuel-filler cap from the B-pillar down onto the fender. On the R8 coupe that made its splashing debut last year, the attractive sideblade inserts were Audi’s way of masking the massive air intakes needed to feed the mid-mounted engine its fresh air, but they probably would not have looked as good on the Spyder as on the coupe. As for the engine compartment, the R8 Spyder now uses an opaque, vented hooted more similar to the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder which shares its platform with the R8.

Like the A5 Convertible, the 2010 Audi R8 Spyder will use a cloth top, which should help keep the overall weight down. Other than the obvious changes made to accommodate the retractable top, the R8 Spyder features the same design cues as the recently introduced R8 5.2 FSI V-10 including LED headlights and taillights and a pair of distinctive oval exhaust outlets. A signature among Audi convertible models, the R8 Spyder’s look will be finished off with an aluminum frame surrounding the windshield. While the pictures that Audi released showing the chocolate brown R8 Spyder is pretty much a dead ringer for the production model despite some photographs showing an interior that looks like a concept vehicle. The only change Audi plans for the open-air R8’s cabin is the addition of Audi’s latest MMI system.

Audi has already said that the 2011 R8 Spyder will be limited to the 5.2-liter FSI engine, so we don’t expect the V-8 to be offered in the drop-top model. With the high-revving V-10 just making its debut, the R8 Spyder is an excellent encore with 525 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque lurking beneath those rear vents. Audi hasn’t released any official specs for the car yet regarding weights or measurements, but it will come standard with Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system and hopefully won’t weight too much more than the hardtop R8 5.2 FSI’s 3,700-pound curb weight.

Pricing will likely be announced closer to production, but we expect it to start north of the 2010 R8 V10’s $146,000 - quite a premium over the base R8 that starts at $114,200. We also reported on the speculation regarding an all-electric version of the R8, and hopefully some more information outside of Audi’s teaser site will be announced in Frankfurt on September 15.

It’s no secret that German automakers seem to think that diesel power is a more lucrative alternative to electric vehicles, but Audi of America’s president Johan de Nysschen hammered home that message today with some not so friendly words. In regard to the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt that may or may not be the savior for General Motors, de Nysschen said that the Volt is a car for idiots and didn’t have too many kind words for EVs either. Friendly competitive banter between automakers or selfless plugging of your own technology is fine and all, but tossing blatant insults at consumers is rarely  a good idea.

Chevrolet’s Volt has had a huge target on its back ever since GM claimed that it will get 230 miles per gallon, but de Nysschen’s problem with the car is the price at which it will start. Chevy estimates that before federal tax credits or any other incentives, the Volt will have an MSRP close to $40,000 when it goes on sale later next year as a 2011 model. Riding on the same platform as the upcoming Cruze (set to replace the Cobalt), the Volt will essentially be a technologically advanced compact hatchback to which de Nysschen says: “No one is going to pay a $15,000 premium for a car that competes with a [Toyota] Corolla. So there are not enough idiots who will buy it.”

So the Volt will be much more expensive when its high-tech Voltec extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) platform debuts, but what about less expensive EVs such as the 2011 Nissan LEAF which is expected to start closer to the price of the current Prius. Although de Nysschen spared hybrids and plug-in hybrids (as Porsche, Audi and VW will all offer these vehicles in the future), he added to his tirade by saying that electric vehicles are for the inllectual elite trying to show off. I can’t really say I disagree with this seeing how some Prius drivers act, but he went on to say that he thinks EVs will add to our global carbon dioxide emissions due to coal-burning electric power plants.

Although these sentiments shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise to anybody as Audi is currently flaunting diesel versions of the Q7 and A3 around the country, we just think opting the whole middle school peer pressure tactic may come back to bite Audi in the long run. It is no secret that Audi is preparing to introduce an electric car at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month possibly based on the Audi R8, so it is baffling as to why the company’s president would make such remarks. As cool as the R8 is, who would buy an electric vehicle from a company whose president doesn’t believe in the future of electric vehicles?

Evidence of the electric R8 comes from Audi itself as the above image was grabbed mini-site it set up called, www.electricityuntamed.com. As much of a niche performance vehicle the R8 already is, a pure electric version would just add to that by providing zero emissions and instantaneous power for which electric vehicles are known. Audi’s German rival, Mercedes-Benz, is also planning an electric supercar based on the upcoming SLS AMG Gullwing. Only time will tell whether diesel fuel or electric power will power future cars, but with growing environmental concerns globally and only a finite amount of fossil fuels on Earth, our money is on EVs.