2011 Audi e-tron Spyder hybrid diesel concept
The Audi e-tron Spyder features a pair of electric motors driving the front wheels with a combined 87 horsepower of power and 260 pound-feet of torque. Audi says that the three units can operate separately or in unison and lists maximum output at 388 hp, with torque peaking at a hefty 664 pound-feet.
Next to the Quattro concept, Audi has also unveiled at the Paris Auto Show the e-tron Spyder, a concept rumored to preview the future R4 sports car. But compared to the previous E-tron concept, this one is powered by a turbochargers 3,0 Liter TDI engine with an output of 300 HP, combined with two asynchronous electric motors with a total output of 88 HP. The E-tron Spyder measures 1.81 meters (5.94 ft) wide, just 4.06 meters (13.32 ft) long and only 1.11 meters (3.64 ft) in height. Updated 12/02/2010: Audi came to this year’s Design Miami with the new e-tron Spyder concept.
Audi presents the Audi e-tron Spyder, the study of an open sports car, at the fall 2010’s largest auto show. The show car, with plug-in hybrid drive, is 4.06 meters (13.32 ft) long, 1.81 meters (5.94 ft) wide and only 1.11 meters (3.64 ft) high. The Audi e-tron Spyder’s low total weight of only around 1,450 kilograms (3,196.70 lb) combined with the high-torque TDI and the two electric motors results in respectable performance. The targeted application of power to the front wheels improves longitudinal dynamics while also improving lateral dynamics when cornering. The Audi e-tron Spyder requires on average just 2.2l diesel/100 km (106.92 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 59 g/km (94.95 g/mile). The top speed of 60 km/h (37.28 mph) is just fine for normal driving.
The Audi e-tron Spyder features what is without a doubt the most advanced and simultaneously the most consistent evolution of the current Audi design language, while also providing initial hints at the design language of future Audi sports cars. It reinterprets the most important design elements that already characterized the previous e-tron concept vehicles. This also ensures the necessary formal differentiation to the purely electric-powered Audi e-tron shown at the 2010 Detroit Motor Show.
The sharply tapered front end lends the Audi e-tron Spyder show car a distinctly wedge-like basic shape. As with the R8 and the e-tron sports car concept cars, the trademark four rings are located above the single-frame. The contrast of materials is reminiscent of a race car. The cockpit of the Audi e-tron Spyder is also oriented toward the driver – a further characteristic Audi trait. The MMI can be controlled via a touch-sensitive control panel on the steering wheel – an element inspired by modern smartphones. The Audi development engineers drew on the core competence of the company for the Audi e-tron Spyder. Despite the complex drive system layout with two electric motors and their respective drive systems plus the TDI engine, the Audi e-tron Spyder show car only weighs around 1,450 kilograms (3,196.70 lb).
Audi has long proven the perfect synthesis between a highly advanced sports car and TDI technology. The Audi e-tron Spyder also draws on this recipe for success – albeit in a revolutionary new combination. Peak torque of 650 Newton meters (479.42 lb-ft) is unusually high, even in the sports car segment. The mid-mounted, longitudinal 3.0 TDI engine drives the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Another innovation is the coupling of the TDI with the electric drive of the front axle. Two asynchronous electric motors with a total output of 64 kilowatt (88 hp) and peak torque of 352 Newton meters (259.62 lb-ft) combine with the 3.0 TDI to give the Audi e-tron Spyder the performance of a high-performance sports car. A surprising effect also present in the Le Mans-winning Audi R10 and R15 race cars, which are also powered by TDI engines.
The benefits of this special form of hybrid drive – the coupling of a high-torque, high-efficiency TDI engine with the electric motors – are by no means limited to the dynamic potential of the Audi e-tron Spyder, however. The full-hybrid Audi e-tron Spyder has also mastered the discipline of zero-emission driving. The combination of the mid-mounted TDI engine and the two electric motors at the front axle also make it possible to intelligently control the lateral dynamics of the e-tron.
Similar to what the sport differential does in conventional quattro vehicles, torque vectoring – the targeted acceleration of individual wheels – makes the e-tron Spyder even more dynamic while simultaneously enhancing driving safety. As befitting its status, the Audi concept car rolls on 20-inch tires with a new blade design.
