The Very Last Audi R8 Has Rolled off the Assembly Line
The last Audi R8 has been built following a bit of an extension, marking the true end of a legendary run.
The Audi R8 came into this world as a truly revolutionary automotive design, one that quickly captured the hearts and imaginations of enthusiasts across the globe. In the years since, it has proven to be a suitable alternative for those that don’t necessarily want a flashy supercar like a Lamborghini, but rather, something more elegant, finely sculpted and tasteful in a world where, well, we just don’t see much of that anymore. Sadly, we’ve known for some time that the Audi R8 was facing discontinuation after hanging on for more than 15 years, and now, that has officially happened, according to Top Gear.
Following a bit of a production extension designed to meet surging demand, the last Audi R8 has been built at the brand’s Böllinger Höfe plant near Stuttgart, Germany. That car was a Performance Quattro Edition finished in Vegas Yellow with bronze 20-inch wheels and the carbon fiber package. It’s a somber occasion for certain, but at least consumer demand forced Audi’s hand in that regard – in fact, orders soared after it announced the R8’s pending discontinuation, which is why it continued making non-GT models for the masses – at least until this point.
Such demand isn’t terribly surprising given the fact that there simply aren’t many V10-powered supercars left on this planet these days, and most certainly not ones that are as well-rounded as the R8. Particularly when paired with rear-wheel-drive, it’s hard to match the sound, feel, and visceral thrills that the Audi R8 provides, coupled with its reliability – something that we don’t tend to expect from such machines.
As for what the future holds, well, that’s little more than a giant question mark at the moment. For some time, Audi had thrown all of its proverbial cards into the all-electric realm, ready to completely ditch ICE for electrification over the coming years. Speculation regarding the R8’s return as an EV has run rampant ever since, but Audi has been a bit coy about its plans in that regard thus far. In fact, CEO Gernot Doellner recently noted that while the brand remains committed to electrification, it’s also willing to change course if the market demands it.
What this means for the future of the Audi R8 – or any potential replacement – is unclear, though it would certainly seem reasonable to expect that the brand is working on some sort of new halo supercar. Whether or not it will utilize an ICE powertrain or an all-electric one remains to be seen, but it seems safe to say that the days of screaming, high-revving V10s are quickly coming to a close, which is nothing less than a somber reality.
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Photos: Audi
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