The Audi R8 has been one of Audi’s most important cars. Not only that, the R8 has also been a dream car for many of us, and this writer certainly remembers his dreams of owning one of Tony Stark’s cars. However, it is sad and borderline painful to say that all things must come to an end, as this year will mark the brand’s halo car’s final year of production. And now, Audi is teasing “something special” to debut on September 12, as shared on the carmaker’s official Instagram page.
The story of the Audi R8 started originally with the brand’s Le Mans Quattro concept, which first debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003. The concept was so well received that production plans for the sports car were finalised.
Just three years later, the Audi R8 was born and debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 2006. During its time, the car was impressive, to say the least.
This is thanks to its futuristic-looking design that features aircraft-grade aluminium in its frame and body panels. Daytime running lights might be common nowadays, but back in its day, its iconic headlights which contained a total of 24 daytime running light LEDs were just super cool to look at.
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The sports car’s design was such an achievement for the brand that the Audi R8 concept and first-generation R8 production car designer, Frank Lamberty said, “There had never been a concept like this in the brand’s history; there were no role models.”
Throughout its 17-year run spanning two model generations, the R8 saw itself offered in coupe and convertible (Spyder) forms. At its heart were the naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 and 5.2-litre V10 engines, contributing to the heavenly sounds they make. The V10 engine especially can even “scream” all the way up to its maximum redline of 8,700 rpm.
To celebrate the Audi R8’s legacy, it took its final laps last week at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca circuit during Monterey Car Week. And as mentioned before, the brand will also be releasing “something special” as a swansong for the V10-powered R8 on September 12. An all-electric replacement to the Audi R8 has also been said to be in the making, but no details of the next-generation sports car’s release date have been announced just yet.
Audi says that its lineup is planned to be shifting towards electrification in the next three years and it is planning to go full electric by 2023. By 2026, the company is also aiming to launch more than 20 models globally, with around half of those models being fully electric.
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