Reports of a new entry-level mid-engined Audi sports car have been circulating for nearly a year now, but new reports out of Europe this week suggest the e-tron Detroit Concept will form the basis for the rumoured Audi R4.

While Audi has yet to offer any official word on the R4's existence, German magazine Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that the new model will arrive in 2013.

Earlier this year, US website Inside Line reported that Audi insiders pulled aside at the Detroit Auto Show had confirmed that not only is the R4 in development, but that the Detroit showcar was developed primarily to determine its styling potential.

Although its name suggests a connection to the R8 supercar, it is believed that the R4 will be powered by either Volkswagen's 2.0 litre four-cylinder petrol engine or the 2.5 litre five-cylinder driving the new TT RS.

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[Source: TMR]