I'll call you...min-e-tron!

Having wowed the crowds with an R8-based electric car, Audi now applies its eco know-how to a smaller model.

This variant of the e-tron concept car that first emerged at last year's Frankfurt Show is some 27 cm shorter and 12 cm narrower than its predecessor, bringing it closer to the TT in terms of overall dimensions.

Its adherence to the R8-based e-tron has lead to speculation that this model, dubbed the Audi e-tron Detroit showcar, could be a blueprint for the company's rumoured R4 compact performance model.

The design certainly retains many of the e-tron's signature styling cues, such as the bisected head- and brakelamps with LED elements and the trapezoidal single-frame take on the company's distinctive grille. Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of this car's design, however, is the cab-rearwards layout, giving the car more of a traditional sports coupé silhouette. Although touted as an eco-conscious model with efficiency in mind, one has to wonder just how aerodynamic those 35-spoke, 19-inch rims really are.

With the number of electric motors halved from four to two and an overall weight some 250 kg less than that of the original e-tron, this latest edition looks to have the right ingredients for spirited performance. This lightweight, in electric vehicle terms, model is underpinned by Audi's Space Frame (ASF) technology, which combines aluminium and carbon fiber reinforced composites that allow the structure to maintain the necessary rigidity without resorting to such bulky materials as steel in the construction.

The two electric motors, mounted on the front and rear axles, develop a combined output of 150 kW - respectable, but not performance saloon-troubling stuff. But, as we all know, it's in the torque department that electric cars really impress, and the Detroit e-tron showcar is no exception. A staggering 2 650 N.m is apportioned between the front and rear axles which, being electrically generated, is available from standstill. Audi claims a 0-100 km/h time of around 5,9 seconds for this model with a top speed limited to 200 km/h.

Power comes from a lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged from a household power outlet in 11 hours, or quickly topped up from a 400V source in the space of just two hours. To supplement the charging process, Audi has equipped this model with its own brake-energy regeneration system.