The Audi R8 Might be a Goner

The Audi R8’s days may be numbered if the rumors floating around prove to be true. Supposedly, the supercar would meet its maker in 2020, per a new report from Automobile Magazine.

There are a lot of rumors in the automotive industry. One of my favorite activities is to sit down and look at rumors from five years ago, then compare them to what actually happened. It can be entertaining. Occasionally, some are spot-on.

This one is fairly believable. After all, the R8 doesn’t sell much these days. Its design is aging, and we’re not seeing a replacement on the horizon. For reasons that don’t make sense, Audi apparently isn’t moving forward with the R8 e-tron, because everyone else is making EVs these days.

Most supercars are about ego, not profits. Sure, they cost a ton, but they often cost even more to make. For example, most industry analysts agree that Honda lost a whole truckload of cash on the NSX. But there’s no telling how many Legends and Vigors Acura sold when people went to showrooms and gawked at the supercar.

Thanks to all the financial damage the Volkswagen Group took and is still taking from Dieselgate, it’s been making cuts. Sadly, cutting the R8 makes sense. An updated version of the supercar would’ve been great, but we’ll just have to enjoy the one we have.