[UPDATE] In an e-mail to Motor1, Audi TT and R8 spokesperson Liza Kellner confirmed the R8 remains to be in manufacturing:
“It’s true, the final Audi R8 will go away the manufacturing line on the finish of the primary quarter of 2024. This marks the top of the manufacturing of an iconic sports activities automobile on the Audi Böllinger Höfe web site in Neckarsulm. The all-electric Audi e-tron GT will proceed to be constructed on the Böllinger Höfe.
As a part of our technique, which has the clear goal of electrifying all the product portfolio, we have now determined to withdraw the R8 from this system on the finish of the primary quarter of 2024.
The assertion that the R8 shall be discontinued on the finish of 2023 dates again to 2019. From this perspective, it’s not shocking that the precise finish date has modified by a couple of weeks.”
2023 marked the top of the road for Audi’s junior sports activities automobile, the TT, and the big-boy R8 was speculated to bow out shortly thereafter. Nevertheless, that did not occur. Though the preliminary plan was to finish manufacturing of the V10 supercar earlier than the turning of the calendar, the naturally aspirated machine lives on.
Talking with German enterprise paper Automobilwoche, Audi confirmed the R8 remains to be in manufacturing on the Böllinger Höfe manufacturing facility the place it additionally assembles the RS E-Tron GT. That is regardless of the actual fact the R8 V10 GT RWD serving because the mannequin’s epilogue was launched again in October 2022. Understanding that the top is nigh for the flagship Audi Sport mannequin, it appears rich prospects are dashing to purchase a brand new one.
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Certainly, gross sales of the R8 doubled final yr in america. People purchased 631 vehicles in 2023, a rise of 101 % in comparison with the yr earlier than when solely 314 R8s have been offered. Audi hasn’t stated but what number of vehicles have been delivered globally in 2023. The determine must be disclosed on March 19 through the assembly with buyers relating to the 2023 monetary outcomes. Within the meantime, we are able to inform you that Audi offered 1,097 in 2022 and 1,679 in 2021.
The brand new plan is to sundown the R8 on the finish of March 2024, a delay of about three months in comparison with the preliminary schedule. We have reached out to Audi for additional affirmation.
A direct substitute is not on the agenda because the Volkswagen Group is killing the venerable 5.2-liter V10. Sure, that additionally means the Lamborghini Huracan successor will lose the ten-cylinder engine. As a substitute, the Raging Bull intends to place a plug-in hybrid powertrain based mostly round a downsized combustion engine.
Audi Sport is not abandoning the thought of getting a devoted range-topping mannequin. Officers are already dropping hints an electrical R8 might occur someday on the VW Group’s upcoming Scalable Techniques Platform (SSP). The brand new {hardware} could be tailored for “iconic vehicles – sports activities vehicles and so forth.” Maybe this additionally means the TT shall be again someday? We’ll see.
Let’s take into account Audi has already made an electrical R8. Nevertheless, it was a business flop because the R8 E-Tron was discontinued after fewer than 100 items have been offered. It got here out on the 2015 Geneva Motor Present and was accessible for less than a few yr in Europe the place it carried an eye-watering sticker value of €1 million. The quite obscure electrical supercar wasn’t accessible at sellers because you needed to drop by Audi’s headquarters to position an order.
As a matter of truth, it wasn’t even included within the configurator, so with out correct advertising, it was doomed to fail. After all, the exorbitant price ticket did not assist its trigger both. Ideally, Audi can have a greater technique in place for a brand new electrical R8, one which we’re hoping will not price seven figures. The smooth PB18 E-Tron hinted on the prospects of an R8 with out a combustion engine, though that idea is already almost 4 years outdated.
