This is the end of the famous V-10 Audi R8 supercar as the last one is made
In a poignant moment, Audi’s iconic R8 supercar concludes its journey as the final model exits the assembly line in Heilbronn, Germany. Despite modest sales, the R8 leaves a lasting legacy, marking the end of the era for Volkswagen Group’s V10 engine (which some consider a Lamborghini engine).
With Lamborghini’s Huracan soon to follow (because it uses the exact same engine), enthusiasts mourn the loss while looking ahead to Audi’s hinted all-electric future. Since Audi already has a lineup of electric vehicles (EVs) as it is, the brand is more than ready to shift to electric only and abandon internal combustion engines (ICE)
Moreover, the final Audi R8 has rolled off the assembly line at the Audi Böllinger Höfe site in Heilbronn, Germany. The supercar’s epilogue is a Vegas Yellow coupe (just like the one pictured here) in the Performance Quattro Edition with a carbon fiber exterior package and 20-inch wheels.
Audi had to extend production of the R8 to keep up with an influx of customer orders following the company’s announcement about killing the flagship sports car. Originally, the last car was supposed to be built at the end of 2023 but that didn’t happen until this month. Still, all good things must come to an end.
Last year, sales of the Audi R8 went up by 49 percent, reaching 1,591 units. However, the R8 was still by far the slowest-selling global product. Naturally, a high power sports car will have a harder time selling compared to a family SUV so this makes sense but it is still sad to see the R8 go.
On top of that, looking back at sales results, demand for the R8 has always been low, which is understandable given the car’s exorbitant price tag. Demand peaked in 2008 when Audi shipped 5,016 cars to customers.
The demise of the Audi R8 means Volkswagen Group’s venerable V-10 engine is one foot in the grave. Lamborghini will phase out the R8’s sister car, the Huracan, later this year. The remaining production run has been accounted for. Well, we had a good run but the famous Audi/Lamborghini is also not long for this world now.
It effectively means you can’t order a supercar with the naturally aspirated 5.2-litre mill anymore. The Huracan has consistently been the more popular of the two mid-engined supercars, which probably explains why only Lamborghini will introduce a successor this year.
