Audi R8’s end of production delayed as sales spike

With development of its all-electric replacement reportedly in an advanced stage, Audi has surprisingly extended the lifecycle of the R8 until the end of the first quarter of the year due to a sudden spike in demand.

Remaining for a little longer

Supposed to have ended production at the Neckarsulm Plant last year, sales ended 2023 on a high as a result of increasing demand from the United States where a year-on-year improvement of 101% from 2022 was recorded.

Its successor set to ride on sister brand Porsche’s Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), with it being unknown as to whether the R8 name will be retained, the final unit offset is only expected to be revealed in the middle of next month as part of parent company Volkswagen’s annual financial results.

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In an official statement to motor1.com, when asked about the R8’s future based on the figures, Ingolstadt’s spokesperson for the R8 and TT, Liza Kellner, said a decision had indeed been taken to extend the R8 beyond its original year of completion, but not beyond the first quarter of 2024.

“The last Audi R8 will leave the production line at the end of the first quarter of 2024. This marks the end of the production of an iconic sports car at the Audi Böllinger Höfe site in Neckarsulm. The all-electric Audi e-tron GT will continue to be built at the Böllinger Höfe,” the response from Kellner read.

“As part of our strategy, which has the clear objective of electrifying the entire product portfolio, we have decided to withdraw the R8 from the program at the end of the first quarter of 2024”.

Timeline to EV

Reported in 2020 as possibly becoming a hybrid powered by an electrified version of the current normally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 engine, the subsequent switch to electric-only motivation comes in response to Audi becoming fully electric by 2026 in Europe, and without any combustion engines in its portfolio by 2034.

“We have a clear focus on the launch of this big model line-up. In the next two years, we will bring nearly 20 new products – more than 50% battery-electric.

“This is our clear focus but, to be honest, we are working on different concepts and projects,” Audi Technical Development Head, Oliver Hoffmann, told Britain’s Autocar on the sidelines of the IAA Mobility Show in Munich last year.

In a prior remark when asked about the R8, Audi Sport boss, Sebastian Grams, said while it has proven itself with the introduction of the e-tron GT, “we need to be brave, as we were with the first generation R8”.

“It was a brave decision to make that car. We need to be innovative and transform into the electric world and digitalisation,” Autocar quoted him saying.

More in due course

Reported in 2022 as being lined-up for a “mid-decade” introduction, the R8’s successor continues to remain a tight lipped secret, though expect more details to be unearthed over the coming weeks and months.

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