Audi CEO Hints That a New Sports Car Could Be in the Cards
All of Audi's sports cars have been extinct for a few years now, but they might be resurrected in the not-too-distant future, if CEO Gernot Döllner's recent statements about the matter hold true.
The latest spark of hope for future fast two-door Audis kicked off when Döllner made mention of a re-entry into the sports car segment at the carmaker's 2024 financial results presentation, according to Autocar. When asked about the possibility of a new sports car, Döllner said, 'For sure. That's part of the brand's DNA, and we have to find the right way, timing wise, to integrate it into our portfolio.'
He added that he has a 'broad view on where Audi should be and where Audi is heading, and thinking in that direction, sports cars are an integral part of such a set-up,' according to the report
The two most recent sports cars from Audi were the R8 and TT, with both models enjoying long production runs spanning multiple generations. Would Audi go back to the same well for its next sports car (or cars)? It's already been reported that Audi is working on a next-gen R8 based on the Lamborghini Temerario, so that's a distinct possibility.
What sort of powertrain might be used for Audi's return to sports cars is largely conjecture at this point, though Döllner said he remained 'open-minded' to the idea of a hybrid, even as he suggested a purely electric sports car made sense.
"I would say in the long-term, in the sports car segment, there will be a place for fully electric sports cars," Döllner said, according to the report. "Not for the track, but for crossing the Alps and having fun on a country road, there's nothing to say against an electric car. You have a coffee break, the cars recharge and everything is perfect."
But while Audi going with electric power for a sports car might've been a sure thing just a short while ago when the carmaker was planning to go all-EV in short order, but Döllner's latest statements about the company's electric transition leaves the door open for more ICE cars.
'For all global regions, we are going to take a look at the life of combustion engines," he said. "2032 was the date we had communicated, but we have to reassess those dates and deadlines."
In short, if Audi really wanted to give us another sports car with an internal combustion engine, it's perfectly within the realm of possibility. We're still years away from anything moving out of the ideation to production stage, presumably — so we'd say sit tight if you're hoping for another sports car with the four rings on its nose.
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