[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 depart the manufacturing line on the finish of the primary quarter of 2024. This marks the tip of the manufacturing of an iconic sports activities automotive 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 the complete product portfolio, we’ve determined to withdraw the R8 from this system on the finish of the primary quarter of 2024.
The assertion that the R8 might be discontinued on the finish of 2023 dates again to 2019. From this perspective, it’s not stunning that the precise finish date has modified by a couple of weeks.”
2023 marked the tip of the road for Audi’s junior sports activities automotive, the TT, and the big-boy R8 was imagined 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 unit the place it additionally assembles the RS E-Tron GT. That is regardless of the very fact the R8 V10 GT RWD serving because the mannequin’s epilogue was launched again in October 2022. Understanding that the tip is nigh for the flagship Audi Sport mannequin, it appears rich clients are speeding to purchase a brand new one.
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Certainly, gross sales of the R8 doubled final 12 months in the USA. Individuals purchased 631 vehicles in 2023, a rise of 101 % in comparison with the 12 months earlier than when solely 314 R8s had been bought. Audi hasn’t mentioned but what number of vehicles had been delivered globally in 2023. The determine ought to be disclosed on March 19 in the course of the assembly with buyers relating to the 2023 monetary outcomes. Within the meantime, we are able to inform you that Audi bought 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. Instead, 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 in the future on the VW Group’s upcoming Scalable Techniques Platform (SSP). The brand new {hardware} might be tailored for “iconic vehicles – sports activities vehicles and so forth.” Maybe this additionally means the TT might be again in the future? We’ll see.
Let’s take note Audi has already made an electrical R8. Nevertheless, it was a industrial flop because the R8 E-Tron was discontinued after fewer than 100 models had been bought. It got here out on the 2015 Geneva Motor Present and was accessible for less than a couple of 12 months in Europe the place it carried an eye-watering sticker worth of €1 million. The slightly 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 and marketing, it was doomed to fail. After all, the exorbitant price ticket did not assist its trigger both. Ideally, Audi could have a greater technique in place for a brand new electrical R8, one which we’re hoping will not value seven figures. The modern PB18 E-Tron hinted on the prospects of an R8 with out a combustion engine, though that idea is already practically 4 years previous.
