The lime light at the Paris Motor show this year has been stolen by the Audi e-tron spider; it is a plug-in hybrid, capable of delivering 128mpg and only 59g/km of emissions. The e-tron Spider runs on a 300PS twin turbo V6 TDI engine mated with twin electric motors.
The Audi e-tron weights in at only 1,450 kilograms, combine that with a high torque TDI and the two electric motors and you get some very impressive performance figures. The two seater spider accelerates to 62mph in 4.4 seconds and has a limited top speed of 155mph.
It is able to achieve this impressive performance by combing the powerful 650Nm torque from its diesel engine and the 352 Nm from its electric motors, Audi has named this technique "boosting", sounds like a phrase coined from a computer game.
Thanks also to its low weight, short wheelbase and perfect 50:50 weight distribution for dynamic handling; the Audi e-tron Spider has all the drivability of a go-kart - good on bends and neutral right up to the very high handling limit.
The Audi e-tron Spider can do up to 128.4mpg, corresponding to CO2 emissions of 59 g/km. A range of more than 621 miles is possible with the 50-litre tank. The electric sports car can also run on 100% electric power over distances up to 31.07 miles at a top speed of 37.28mph.
Dealers of Audi in Edinburgh have been talking about how the e-tron would be perfect for urban areas, as it can run on pure electric power in town and once it reaches the open road it can use its powerful TDI engines to haul the e-tron along at supercar speeds.