Rest in Peace Audi R8, it was great knowing you
THE Audi R8 is no more, with numerous sources reporting that the last unit has rolled off the assembly line at the Bollinger Hofe plant in Germany.
This follows the axing of the smaller Audi TT Coupe and Roadster models in late 2023, meaning that the German brand now has no dedicated sports cars in its line-up.
The writing has been on the wall for quite some time. Not only is the industry shifting rapidly towards electrification but R8 sales weren’t all that great, especially in recent times.
According to Motor1, Audi sold just 1,591 units last year, which was admittedly a 50% improvement over its 2022 figure, but still some way off its 2008 peak of 5,016 units.
The R8 survived through two generations, first seeing light of day in 2007 as Audi’s first mid-engined supercar.
Dazzling onlookers with its bold shape and pioneering LED headlights, the R8 shared some of its DNA with the Lamborghini Gallardo, but initially the Audi was only available with a normally aspirated V8 engine that offered up 309kW.
It capitalised more on its Italian stablemate’s genes in 2008 when the V10 version made its debut, with 386 ponies beneath that beautiful glass-covered engine bay behind the seats.
Following a facelift in 2012, and now with numerous Le Mans class victories under its belt, Audi introduced the second-generation R8 in 2015. Although it had a smoother look on the outside, gen-two followed a similar technical recipe to its predecessor, although the V8 engine was now retired. More importantly the V10 now produced up to 449kW in the Plus variant.
The fun factor took another twist in 2017 when a rear-wheel drive version was introduced and in 2013 a limited GT version made its debut with 456kW.
As it currently stands there are no known plans for a direct R8 replacement but as with its smaller TT sibling, rumours persist of an eventual electric successor. Because that’s how they roll these days.
IOL Motoring