Many speculate that the Audi E-tron Spyder is a telling sign of what the Audi R4 roadster/spyder will resemble. It debuted at the 2010 Paris Motorshow and is now on display (PHOTOS) at Design Miami, as part of Audi’s futuristic e-den charging station exhibit.

Per Audi:

Design Miami: Filling up on creativity

* Audi exhibits futuristic “e-den” charging station at Design Miami
* A matter of time: charging takes longer than conventional fueling
* Audi takes an active part in discussions on electromobility

Fill it up, pay, get on your way. It probably won’t be that easy with electric cars, since charging takes longer than filling up with gasoline or diesel. At the Design Miami show (December 1 to December 5), Audi takes a playful look at this aspect: What can drivers do in the meantime? What amenities will charging stations of the future have to offer?

Wood furniture and plants, organic food, magazines and books – this futuristic service station is a wellness oasis featuring fair-trade products and sustainable materials. A real paradise, hence the title of the installation: “e-den.” The “e” stands for electromobility. Munich-based graphic design studio Mirko Borsche created the vision, which is dominated by reflective glass that mirrors the resplendent Audi e-tron Spyder, a study in electric vehicle design. The architecture is also reminiscent of a 1950s American gas station, with an old gasoline pump encased in glass like a museum piece.

“Our aim in creating this installation is to heighten the public’s awareness of the wide range of challenges electromobility presents. And we provide food for thought – not just about electric vehicles themselves, but also about the infrastructure that will have to be created to support electric mobility”, says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Audi Board of Management for Marketing and Sales. Design Miami, the world’s leading design show, is an excellent venue in this regard. And this is also Audi’s fifth year as a partner and exhibitor at the show.

But the car is still the centerpiece – and will remain so – because the desire for personal mobility will continue to exist, even in the future: “I staged the Audi e-tron Spyder as a vision. What is so amazing here is the contrast between the cozy interior and the futuristic reflections of the exterior, creating a dynamic interplay that can be experienced on a personal level”, says graphic designer Mirko Borsche.
Wava Carpenter, Acting Director Design Miami: “Design is the art form aimed at imagining a better, richer, more comfortable everyday life. Today we find the most compelling design work stretches farthest in imagining a better future. Audi’s proposal for a gasoline-less filling station for electric cars which will be shown at Design Miami/ is a perfect example of this.”

At Audi, conventional ways of seeing and thinking are continually challenged in order to advance the company and to play an active role in shaping the mobility of the future. As part of the Audi Urban Future Award 2010 architectural competition, Audi took a close look at personal mobility in the city of the future.

Furthermore Audi presented four electric vehicle concepts with its e-tron family within just one year – and the small-series, 100% electric R8 e-tron supercar will be on the market in 2012.

See all PHOTOS HERE

It’s common belief that the Audi e-Tron coupe and spyder concepts represent previews of the future Audi R4 coupe and roadster versions. As such, it’s interesting to get some insight into the design process behind the e-Tron spyder, which Audi has just released. Here’s some interesting facts behind its design. The full Audi press release can be find INSIDE.

- Company held contest to determine who would design the e-Tron spyder
- 17 people entered the contest and were divided into 4 teams
- After 2 weeks of competition, group was narrowed to just 2 designers who each were asked to build full size silhouettes of their proposals, which were carved from brown industrial plasticine stretched over a steel/wood/foam frame
- The 2 proposals were presented to management and after they picked the winning design, work on the actual show car began
- The show car was made using a carbon fiber process which required employees to mill the individual body parts as negative molds from a block of rigid foam. Afterwards, they applied sheets of carbon fiber fabric, let it harden, cleaned it up, and primed it
- The e-Troy Spyder’s wheels are constructed from 66 individual parts

[See the full set of photos are INSIDE]

Autoblog is reporting that some in-fighting between Audi, Volkswagen, and Porsche may delay any or all of the Audi R4 – VW Bluesport – Small Porsche Entry Model trifecta, which will each be based off the same VW created small, mid-engine platform.

According to the report, Audi can’t make a case for adding another sports car to its portfolio (are there really that many?!) and Porsche is wary of introducing a new entry model which may cannibalize sales of the Boxster.  We personally hope that Audi finds a good reason to add the R4 soon because the interest for this car is certainly out there in our opinion!