23 Votes

Boost it!

Could An Audi R4 Roadster Be As Big A Hit As The R8?

inspirion7 submitted on 3/7/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 11:44:04 AM

22 user comments | Category: New Cars | Source: | SOURCE: www.worldcarfans.com

While Audi is basking in the glory of its R8, rumours of a smaller R4 just keep cropping up at every turn.

This is an artist's rendering of what an Audi R4 could look like if it did come to market. Given the speculation about BMW's own smaller roadster dubbed the Z2, Audi could be keen on the concept of an R4 or even the R3.

An Audi R4 it has been suggested, would use smaller engines than the TT range. These would be placed mid-section like in the R8. Three engine possibilities currently exist for the R4 in the 1.4 TSI, the 1.8 TSI and the 2.0TDI. The new TT RS may also have provided a possible engine for the R4 in the 340hp (250kW) 2.5-litre TFSI. Naturally, quattro all-wheel-drive would be fitted to the top-of-the-range model while the lesser versions get FWD. Of course two versions in the form of a coupe and a roadster would eventually appear.

The R4 would potentially share the same platform as the production version of the VW BlueSport Concept which was shown in Detroit earlier this year.

Read Article

Could An Audi R4 Roadster Be As Big A Hit As The R8?

About the Author

inspirion7

"Show me the money" - Cuba Gooding Jr. The bigger the Government, the smaller the man.

— inspirion7 (View Profile)


User Comments

DaHarder

Not if any of the versions are FWD... FWD has no place in a luxury manufacturer's lineup - End Of Story!

— DaHarder (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 3:59:10 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 6   

AgentOrange

Agreed..

— AgentOrange (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 5:28:20 PM | | Votes: -8   

JustaCar

I don't know which comment is further from the truth. The one from DaHarder or the one from david969!
True luxury is not something that's necessarily recognized by the masses. Reminds me of a scene from the movie "Working Girl" where Joan Cusak's character, upon seeing a simple black Armani dress with a $5000 price tag, exclaims "Five thousand dollahs! It's not even leathah!"

— JustaCar (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 6:36:47 PM | | Votes: 3   

StarSearch

David969, there is no way an ES is more luxurious than an A8, it rides on a Camry platform. The ride, interior quality and handling trounce the ES and I say this from experience: my sister has an 08' ES and I have an 07' A8L.

Honestly, it's not even close, heck even the GS wouldn't match it, maybe the LS but it would still be close IMHO, and AWD isn't out on the LS until later this year.

— StarSearch (View Profile)

Posted on 3/9/2009 9:09:46 AM | | Votes: 4   

JustaCar

And look at all the features you get on a Timex watch. Surely a Pateck Philippe cannot match it.

— JustaCar (View Profile)

Posted on 3/9/2009 11:47:41 AM | | Votes: 3   

Agent001

First they dis the Porsche 911, now the Boxster.

And they are the same company.

What's up with that?

001

— Agent001 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 5:10:46 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

downtoearth

Sometimes I wonder whether those "journalists" who have been employed to manufacture portal content about motoring do have any clue what are they talking about.

Excerpt from the news:

" engines [...] would be placed mid-section like in the R8. [...] while the lesser versions get FWD."

Rear mounted engines and front wheel drive? That would have to be the most idiotic drivetrain setup in the world, small wonder no one has ever built such thing yet. Drive shaft and the space robbing chassis mid tunnel are mandatory (which is expensive) yet the car would suffer from excessive understeer because of front wheel not being laden enough (engine in the middle) and simultaneously having grip stolen for the purpose of propulsion.

The only reasonable way for Audi to engineer this car is to recycle (maybe next gen) Boxter guts and offer it a bit cheaper. Otherwise it would not make any sense to purposely build an entirely new mid engine setup for a not that expensive (Audi can't charge that much as Porsche because of the badge) low volume seller which won't be a promotional halo car like the R8 is. TT does the small coupe job better than anything else and is very cheap to make as it's just a Golf with some go faster toys.

— downtoearth (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 10:49:05 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

ThierryHenry14

I just don't get where this vehicle would be slotted? Would it not cannibalize the sales of the TT? I cannot imagine that this would be smaller than the TT, and it does not looking like it would be larger...

Can someone please tell me which market niche this vehicle would slot into...

— ThierryHenry14 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 1:34:48 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

VISO

The above car is not the likely upcoming R4. I am not sure where you get your information Inspirion7, but the R4 will be a mid-engined sports coupe that will either replace the iconic TT or become the next generation TT (which is very likely based off recent focus groups by Audi). The above would be a complete separate model line if Audi even decides to do it which is unlikely as they are going for th R4 concept instead.

— VISO (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 1:47:18 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

shabaru

I wouldnt say as big as the R8..... But I WOULD say BIGGER. Consider how the R4 is probably first of all not going to be over 100k... And second of all the TT was a very hot car.. atleast I thought it was. So maybe this R4 should live up to its name as well.

— shabaru (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 4:25:48 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

1995e34

mid engined fwd...very innovative. sounds like an idea from saab.

this needs to be rwd, and have a roof. the whole awd convertible thing would make it quite heavy. it may work in a 500hp high end model, but why attach the performance dynamics of a mid-engined car to a silly, expensive fashion accessory.

don't get me wrong, a lower end MR audi sounds cool, but needs to be done right. otherwise you have a car the size (approximately) of a z4 but weighing a few hundred lbs more (the z4 is already too heavy).

— 1995e34 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 8:05:17 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Star

"Could An Audi R4 Roadster Be As Big A Hit As The R8?"

NO.

— Star (View Profile)

Posted on 3/8/2009 10:46:04 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

LexSucks

Rear Engine/FWD? LOL!!!

Audi is on crack!! Why not just make the "lessor" models RWD and the other models Quattro? Seems really retarded.

I'll bet that Audi knew the car in RWD, would actaully be a better driver than the AWD version. So instead of exposing the AWD system as not really being needed, they decided not to compete with themselves. Either that or Audi just loves FWD.

Either way, having all of their vehicles FWD or AWD makes the brand look like all of their cars are designed to be FWD cars. Not good for a premium make (might as well be Volvo). Does Audi even make a RWD vehicle? Audi seems so hell bent on FWD that they are spending an additional cost routing the drivtrain from the rear to the front, when they could have just made it rear-wheel drive and not have to deal with the routing the drivtrain to the front?

What the hell is wrong with Audi?

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 3/9/2009 10:05:35 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

AlexTx

If you really believe that Audi will make this car Mid engine and FWD.... you are a lost cause...

— AlexTx (View Profile)

Posted on 3/9/2009 11:11:44 AM | | Votes: 2   

LexSucks

Audi is the lost cause. Because if they do not make this car Rear-engined then all it is, is another TT. What will make this model different than the TT? Why would Audi produce 2 different cars that are virtually the same?

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 3/9/2009 11:40:31 AM | | Votes: -1   

LexSucks

And oh yeah... It's not a matter or not of weather I believe what "worldcarfans" have written about the new Audi. Maybe you should address your concerns to them?

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 3/9/2009 11:47:13 AM | | Votes: 1   

adamsaf723

If they make it, wouldn't they kind of be crucifying the TT-RS?

— adamsaf723 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/9/2009 12:24:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

JUGNU

Mid engine and FWD. Wow. Also most probably there won't be '1.4 litre' mid engine. Article/source is clueless. Only Photoshop photo is good, rest is only stories.

JUGNU

— JUGNU (View Profile)

Posted on 3/9/2009 1:42:46 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

inspirion7

I would first reference the article for information. Secondly, why would this not work? True the market for coupes are limited, but it could be produced in limited numbers being that most of the engineering would have been done by VW. I'm sure Seat would have a model as well. The TT is 164.5 in., in length compared to the 157in. for the BlueSport Roadster. This could be marketed like Porsche did with the Cayman/ Boxster/ and 911 models. The Audi R4 could be a pure sports coupe while the TT goes after the avante garde types that like to wear "stretchy pants". Could you image the car with 350 hp S model?!!! Shazam!

— inspirion7 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/10/2009 2:22:27 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Add your Comments

Images hosted in your AgentSpace can now be posted in the comments section using the following syntax (case matters): [img]IMAGE URL[/img]
Example: [img]http://agent001.myautospies.com/images/sample.jpg[/img]