Bram Schot also made an interesting comment in regard to the future of the R8 supercar. “As I said, focusing also means leaving out. Do we need a successor with a combustion engine? Does this fit in with our vision?” Looking at the bigger picture, we wouldn’t be surprised if Audi electrifies the third generation of the R8 to the detriment of the 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10.
Lamborghini plans to hybridize the V10 and V12 supercars which will replace the Huracan and Aventador, but the four-ringed brand wants to cut down on engine choices. More to the point, Audi plans to phase out the W12 and V10 from the lineup, leaving the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 co-developed with Porsche as the most exciting option.
Turning our attention back to the R8, remember all those rumors about the R8 with the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 from the RS4 Avant? Even a product plan was leaked onto the Internet, but Audi didn’t go through with the lesser option because nobody would take the R8 seriously with the six-cylinder powerplant. With ever-stringent emissions regulations, it doesn’t come as a surprise that electrification is of utmost importance even for the R8.
What about the third-generation TT, what should we expect from it? Given that Audi will launch a half-brother to the ID.3 compact hatchback from Volkswagen, the MEB architecture comes to mind as the basis for the TT Mk3. The platform sharing goes back to the 1990s and original TT, and to this day, the TT and Golf are joined at the hip.
