Audi R8 Could Return with Lambo’s V8 PHEV Powertrain – Report

The recently deceased Audi R8 could make a comeback, possibly featuring a V8 PHEV setup borrowed from Lamborghini.

Almost a year since its demise, it seems that the beloved Audi R8 might make a comeback from the grave. As reported by Autocar UK, Audi’s new mid-engined flagship is due for a 2027 debut, as engineering works are already underway with direct blessing from the big boss himself, Audi’s chairman Gernot Dollner.

Audi R8 (left) & Lamborghini Temerario (right)

Similar to the outgoing model, the new R8 will be an Audi-badged twin to a Lamborghini supercar, particularly the new Temerario, thus reigniting Audi’s supercar alliance with the famed Raging Bull marque. Given that the original R8 adopts the same V10 engine used on the Lamborghini Gallardo, Autocar UK reports that the new R8 is expected to arrive with the Temerario’s new V8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain setup.

The setup features a flat-plane-crank 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine rated at 789 HP as its core, which is being bolstered by three axial-flux electric motors to deliver a combined system output of 907 HP. Juice is provided by a small 3.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged either by a 7 kW AC charger or by energy recuperation via the third electric motor that sits between the V8 and the 8-speed DCT gearbox.

Should the new R8 adopt this V8 PHEV setup, it will single-handedly become the most potent road-going, combustion-powered Audi ever, eclipsing its V10-powered GT edition predecessor by almost 300 HP.

Besides the V8 PHEV system, other mechanical bits from the Temerario are also expected to trickle their way down to the new Audi R8, including all the electronics and the aluminium spaceframe chassis it underpins. According to Lamborghini, this new structure uses 50% fewer components and an 80% reduction in welds than the previous platform used on the Huracan, while providing a 25% increase in stiffness.

Audi R8 V10 GT RWD

As for its design, there’s no indication of how the new R8 will look, so our best bet is to refer to the previous-gen model as a reference. But given how the new Temerario looks somewhat similar to its predecessor, perhaps we can expect the design change won’t be as radical as many would have loathed.

As we mentioned earlier, the next-gen Audi R8 is scheduled to be unveiled later in 2027, where it will reportedly arrive alongside a more potent variant of the Temerario. Regardless of its eventual powertrain setup, we’d reckon it is universally agreed that the new, combustion-powered Audi R8 sounds more promising and convincing than the previously mooted all-electric replacement.