Don’t Look for Another Audi R8 after the Current One

-
Although Audi is known to be working on a new turbocharged V-6 engine for the range-topping R8, longer-term prospects for the company’s flagship sports car are looking less certain. During an interview with Audi’s R&D boss, Peter Mertens, at the Geneva auto show, he admitted that there are no current plans for a direct replacement.

-
If so, the news is sad but understandable. For its next generation of products, Audi is having to spread its development budget far further, producing EVs and plug-in hybrids alongside those old-fashioned internal-combustion models that will continue to comprise the bulk of the company’s portfolio. And Mertens confirms we can expect to see fast versions of all types.

-


-
“All three concepts will have a future,” Mertens said, when asked about performance applications. “There will be very traditional combustion-engine high-performance vehicles, pure battery-electric vehicles on the high-performance side, and our sister brand Porsche also very much proves with their plug-in hybrids that the combination of both is a fantastic answer as well.”

-
The problem for the R8 is that it lacks the glamour of similarly performing rivals, including—it must be said—its Lamborghini Huracán sibling, which shares its floorpan, rear bulkhead, V-10 engine, and transmission. While the forthcoming V-6 R8 will offer a lower-priced entry point into the range and won’t have a direct Lamborghini counterpart, it is unlikely to transform the R8’s fortunes, especially given how close the five-cylinder TT RS already is in raw performance.

-
Asked about the future of the R8, Mertens said, “It has a long life, and it’s doing okay.” But he also then agreed with an assertion that there are no current plans to replace it. “I would say so,” Mertens responded. “I always get [my PR chief] very nervous when I start talking about that stuff. Never say never; performance cars are good for Audi.”

-

• 
  -
• Keep Audi Weird! An Ode to the RS3’s Riotous Five-Cylinder Engine
  -
• Audi R8 RWS First Drive: Dancing With the Devil in the Pale Castile Light
  -
• Audi R8 Full Coverage: News, Tests, Pricing, Photos, and More
  -

-
There’s still time. The R8 is sure to stick around for several more years, given that there is a significant variant still to be launched. But if you want a brand-new R8 in your life at some point, it might be a good idea not to defer that dream for too long.

-


-


-

Continue reading...