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Audi e-tron Spyder plug-in diesel hybrid concept shows up at LeMans

Audi keeps growing its e-tron lineup. The automaker unveiled an electrified monster at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, only this time ’round, the low-slung hybrid came sans-top.

It’s that vehicle – the e-tron Spyder plug-in diesel hybrid concept – that Audi brought to LeMans this weekend. More specifically, the e-tron Spyder participated in the “Le Mans vers le futur,” an event held in conjunction with the legendary 24-hour race. Along with the e-tron Spyder came the Audi Q5 hybrid quattro, a production-ready SUV that will go on sale in late 2011.

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. In the rear sits a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 TDI that cranks out up to 300 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque. Them horses are funneled to the rear wheels via a seven-speed transmission. 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.

Audi says that despite the hefty 9.1 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery mounted up front, it managed to keep the vehicle’s weight in check and distribute the pounds evenly across the chassis. As a result, the e-tron Spyder should be plenty tossable. Audi claims the e-tron Spyder tips the scales at 3,196 pounds and that the drivetrain provides sufficient electric-only power to hit speeds of up to 37 miles per hour for a total of 31 miles. The manufacturer says that in city driving, that capability is enough to hang with traffic. If not, there’s always that torquey diesel V6 out back.

Photos copyright ©2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Green Car Congress]

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