R8 e-tron finally makes production

The will-they-won't-they saga of the Audi R8 e-tron is over. And from the Geneva motor show, we deliver good news: they WILL.

An all-electric version of Audi's sports car has been on the drawing board for some time, with a number of prototypes shown since 2011 as company bosses have ummed and erred whether to bring it to production.

With the new, second-generation R8, though, the indecision is over. Perhaps thanks to the success of the BMW i8, the R8 e-tron will be brought to production, and this is it.

It's recognisably an R8, but don your anorak and there are plenty of key differences to spot. See the blanked out grille. The filled-in air vents. The curious design of the eco-minded wheels. And some natty yellow trim for the carbon side panel.

What you want, though, are stats. The e-tron's electric drivetrain produces 456bhp (more than the old R8 V8) and 678lb ft of torque, more than any existing Audi. Or Porsche or Lamborghini, for that matter. It also pegs it far further up the performance car hierarchy than that i8. It's a safe bet that, like the BMW, the R8 e-tron will be all-wheel drive.

It's capable of a 3.9-second sprint to 62mph, though presumably that doesn't come in conjunction with the e-tron's rather useable sounding 280-mile range. A full charge can apparently be completed in two hours.

R8 e-tron production will be limited, and it won't be sold in all markets. So we don't yet know how much it'll cost, or if we'll see it in Europe, or the UK. We're hoping we do. Fingers crossed, everybody...