Photo: Audi
Bad news, ladies and gents! Or better said, potentially bad news because there’s no confirmation that Audi has axed the R8 supercar and TT sports car. According to Autocar, their future is uncertain for the time being.
The British publication says that chief exec Markus Duesmann has instigated a review of the automaker’s future products, and the two models have been “reviewed as part of a general cost-cutting process.” A source adds fuel to the fire, claiming that the R8 and TT “have now come under increased focus.”
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Autocar mentions that the combustion-engined platform strategy is under review as well, which sounds a bit cooky if you look at the bigger picture. Volkswagen has upgraded the MQB for the all-new Golf, and the all-new A3 is underpinned by it as well. As for the MLB, the four-ringed automaker can’t pull the plug on it because it’s used by other brands. From the Touareg to the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus, to be more precise.
On that note, don’t bid farewell to the two sporty models yet. Audi confirmed at the 130th Annual General Meeting last year that they’ll “replace the TT with a new emotive model in the same price range,” an EV of sorts. A different report refers to the eTTron, expected to roll out as a 4.35-meter electric crossover on the MEB architecture of the compact-sized Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4.
As for the R8, things get a bit more complicated. The 2.5-liter base engine didn’t enter production even though everyone was expecting this outcome, and Audi said three years ago that they intend to kill off their V10 and W12 engines. That may be true for the German automaker, but Lamborghini intends to keep the V10 alive while the W12 is of utmost importance to the Bentley lineup.
The managing director of Audi Sport, a man by the name of Oliver Hoffmann, let it slip in 2019 that internal combustion and the R8 still mix for the next generation of the mid-engine supercar, but only with some kind of hybridization. Coincidence or not, the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese has also made it clear that the V10 and the V12 will keep on keeping on with hybrid assistance instead of forced induction.
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Autocar mentions that the combustion-engined platform strategy is under review as well, which sounds a bit cooky if you look at the bigger picture. Volkswagen has upgraded the MQB for the all-new Golf, and the all-new A3 is underpinned by it as well. As for the MLB, the four-ringed automaker can’t pull the plug on it because it’s used by other brands. From the Touareg to the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus, to be more precise.
On that note, don’t bid farewell to the two sporty models yet. Audi confirmed at the 130th Annual General Meeting last year that they’ll “replace the TT with a new emotive model in the same price range,” an EV of sorts. A different report refers to the eTTron, expected to roll out as a 4.35-meter electric crossover on the MEB architecture of the compact-sized Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4.
As for the R8, things get a bit more complicated. The 2.5-liter base engine didn’t enter production even though everyone was expecting this outcome, and Audi said three years ago that they intend to kill off their V10 and W12 engines. That may be true for the German automaker, but Lamborghini intends to keep the V10 alive while the W12 is of utmost importance to the Bentley lineup.
The managing director of Audi Sport, a man by the name of Oliver Hoffmann, let it slip in 2019 that internal combustion and the R8 still mix for the next generation of the mid-engine supercar, but only with some kind of hybridization. Coincidence or not, the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese has also made it clear that the V10 and the V12 will keep on keeping on with hybrid assistance instead of forced induction.
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