Audi disappoints R8 fans by ruling out an R8 return

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a sad day to be a fan of the Audi R8.

Many of us had held out hope that the legendary supercar would be making a return.

In fact, there had even been reports of the marque being built on an all-electric platform.

Unfortunately, that idea has now been shut down by the Volkswagen Group’s new CEO.

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Audi R8 remains a revered icon among supercars

Audi is widely respected as one of the finest car manufacturers in the world.

The Ingolstadt-based firm has made some of the most iconic cars of all time, such as the Quattro.

However, the firm had never actually tackled the supercar market until 2006 with the release of the R8.

Initially released with a 4.2 liter FSI V8, the Audi R8 absolutely wowed the public.

And it was lauded in spades – not just for its incredible supercar abilities, but for its everyday ability, too.

The only initial critique was the R-Tronic automatic transmission.

However, that was quickly remedied with the wonderful S-Tronic, dual-clutch gearbox.

Early 2009 would see the release of one of the best engines ever built – the iconic 5.2 liter FSI V10 engine.

Heartbreakingly, the R8 was discontinued in March 2024, despite being considered one of the best supercars you could buy.

R8 appears to be truly dead and buried

Despite officially being discontinued, the R8s popularity is as high as ever.

In fact, Audi actually had to extend production of the supercar into 2025 just to meet demand.

Many people had held out hope that news of the R8’s discontinuation was some kind of joke.

Unfortunately, the news was true and the R8 was being sat on the sideline indefinitely.

Recently, there appeared to be momentum behind rumours of an R8 revival in 2027.

In fact, the reports suggested that the R8 could be built on the hybrid powertrain of the Lamborghini Temerario.

The hybrid Huracan replacement is set to produce 907bhp, with 789 of that coming from its V8 alone.

Unfortunately, we know now that the R8 is not going to be paired with the new Lamborghini.

Kjell Gruner is the new head of Volkswagen Group of the Americas, and he had this to say.

“A mid-engine, internal combustion engine vehicle, I don’t see that on the road map.”

We can only hope that things change between now and 2027 – but for now, the R8 dream is over.

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