In September of 2009, Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen loudly and proudly called the Chevrolet Volt "a car for idiots". He spent the next several months back-tracking.
Like certain politicians who suffer from foot-in-mouth disease, de Nysschen was clumsily trying to make a couple of interesting points: (a) even though the Volt is fuel-efficient, savings at the pump will never justify the car's high price tag, and (b) because America derives so much of its electricity from coal, even the most severely gas-averse Volt drivers won't be doing much to improve the environment.
Regrettably, it appears that the R8 has either been delayed or shelved, depending on who you believe.
The Car Connection has the scoop and some more pictures of the R8 to sweeten the pain.
