Audi R8 is really, totally dead as last car leaves the line in Bollinger Hofe

The Audi R8 began with the R8 Le Mans endurance racer and the V10-powered Lamborghini Gallardo — plus a touch of “Iron Man”! — and it ends with Vegas Yellow, unexpected demand, and 17 years of influence on the super sports car world. Audi warned us in October 2022 that the 2023 model year would be the R8’s last, promising just 2,000 production units for the year, among them 333 examples of the celebratory 2023 R8 V10 GT RWD. But something happened on the way to the end of the line at Bollinger Hofe, the factory where Audi builds the R8: Demand for the car jumped, so Audi extended production for a few months. Now, with all of the latecomers satisfied, the guy who’s been standing by the light switch can finally turn it off. Top Gear watched the ultimate R8, a V10 Performance Quattro Edition Coupe, drive out of the facility last week, the Vegas Yellow paint hiding a 621-horsepower V10 with an 8,700-rpm redline and a cabin designed for all-day comfort.

Speaking of which, the R8 is headed for a life of comfort as part of the Audi’s private collection. Top Gear says the car is going to Audi Tradition, which is sometimes referred to as a museum but is more like the manufacturer’s private collection of pristine examples of Audi history. Audi Tradition isn’t open to the public, but overseers in that department fly cars around the world to attend events and, occasionally, run them hard. This year, Audi Tradition’s attending more than a dozen events; it showed up to Amelia Car Week earlier this month, and will take something(s) loud to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. There is an Audi museum as well, one that welcomes anyone who buys a ticket. Audi Tradition also has an app with rolling digital exhibits and info on the public and the private stuff.  

We know no more about what’s coming to replace the R8 — if anything —  than we did 18 months ago. The consensus has been there’s something electric headed for the top spot, and we still believe that’s the smart money. Autocar cited “Audi insiders” at the time for intel that “the supercar has not yet been officially signed off but is very much underway,” and that it won’t be called R8 nor look like the R8. Car and Driver followed up with a report that the car is codenamed Rnext and has been pushed back to 2029. However, it’s anyone’s guess how shifting regulations here and in Europe, fluctuating demand, and the resulting pullback on electric powertrains has affected the chances, the powertrain, and the timeline of an R8 successor.