Latest news with #AudiR8
The Herald
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Great performances for EC drivers at Simola Hill Climb
There were some standout performances from Eastern Cape drivers at the 15th Simola Hill Climb in Knysna at the beginning of May. Gordon Nicholson in his Audi R8 V10 took part in his 11th Simola Hill Climb and continued his dominance in the A6 class that caters for standard production, road-going saloon cars with eight cylinders, and above that are naturally aspirated, by taking the class win with a personal best time of 46.517 seconds. He also finished fifth overall in the King of the Hill Shootout for road-going cars. This is the eighth time that Nicholson has achieved a class win, having previously competed in the A8 and A9 classes for hybrid cars in a BMW before he switched to the Audi R8. Dayaan Padayachey claimed his second class A5 for standard production, road-going saloon cars with five or six cylinders that are normally aspirated, in just his second year of competing in his magnificent Porsche Cayman GTS. In the B2 class for four-cylinder racing cars that are unlimited two-wheel drive vehicles with forced induction, Daniel Rowe was second behind his VW teammate Jonathan Mogotsi, in their VW Motorsport Polos GTIs, with East London's Owen Bridger in his Honda K24 in third. Another solid performance from Aldo Scribante saw him finish in third place overall in the B5 class for four-wheel drive cars with five cylinders or more in his Audi S4, His brother Silvio stormed to fifth place overall in the King of The Hill shoot-out for modified saloon cars in his ever-improving Audi RS3, followed by Wade van Zummeren, from East London, in his fire spitting Nissan GTR R34. In Friday's very wet classic car celebration, the powerful Nissan Skylines of Brent Watts and Rane Berry just couldn't find traction off the line, but provided many thrills as they sped up the hill, often drifting through the corners, but were unable to get into the class finals that were dominated by less powered front wheel drive vehicles. Neil Stephen took his rare 1972 Opel Manta to Simola for the first time and had an early scare when a pipe on the oil cooler came loose, and thus missed a few of the practice runs, which unfortunately cost him dearly and he wasn't able to make the class finals. The event was sadly marred by the tragic death of well-known competitor Pieter Joubert, who was killed after hitting a tree at high speed after his Lotus Exige left the road. Initial indications are that the car suffered steering failure.
Sky News AU
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Sky News AU
‘No one ever cared about my feelings': OnlyFans star Renee Gracie on motorsport comeback in GT World Challenge
Renee Gracie is finally getting her flowers. The 30-year-old skyrocketed to national fame a decade ago as the country's only female V8 Supercars driver before leaving the sport in 2017 and starting a lucrative adult career on OnlyFans. Supercars officials publicly tut-tutted the X-rated move and slammed her subsequent attempts to re-enter motorsport using the profits from her OnlyFans career. She finally returned to the racetrack for the GT World Challenge Australia two years ago and is currently leading the 2025 driver's championship in the Am category. 'It's great to be here, but you know, I started my return back into motorsport back in like 2021 and I didn't get in the car until 2023,' she told 'So it was many years of lots of no's, lots of ignored phone calls, ignored emails and people just not returning my calls, people laughing at me.' The racer, who is also an aspiring boxer sat down with ahead of the second round of the GT World Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park last weekend. 'It's a good racing program and I'm just another competitor on the field out of everyone that's here,' she said. 'I feel like my purpose now essentially on my return is that no female should ever have to work this hard to get into motorsport.' The Queenslander has reunited with Melbourne Performance Centre this season in the same Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2 that she drove to a maiden trophy class victory in 2023. Gracie has even combined her two passions after inking a major sponsorship deal with OnlyFans, whose logo is proudly wrapped around her Audi R8. 'Racing is obviously my number one thing right now, but I'm so lucky to combine both OnlyFans and my motorsport together,' she said. Despite strong support within the GT racing community, Gracie claimed she has faced resistance from TV broadcasters who bristled at showing her OnlyFans-branded car on camera. 'In the beginning it was a bit difficult with TV coverage and people still obviously feeling a certain way about the sponsor and what I was bringing to the category,' she said. The racer's re-entry into motorsport was immortalised in the Stan documentary Renee Gracie: Fireproof, which chronicled her complicated stint in Supercars and her subsequent switch to GT3 racing. Through archival footage, viewers relive a pre-MeToo media's obsession with her appearance and the stomach-churning moment a former manager joked about her weight on camera. The kicker occurs when the same looks-obsessed media turns on Gracie after she opts to monetise her appearance through OnlyFans. 'I think for many years with the media and the way that things were manipulated and spoken about in the way I was treated, there was a level of control and manipulation over my story,' she said. 'I felt like my whole journey, no one ever cared about my feelings, thoughts and emotions, and they care less now that I'm out of (Supercars). 'So I when I had the opportunity for the documentary, I thought this might be the only thing I can ever do to just share my side of the story.' Now officially in her thirties, Gracie said her career in motorsport may just be getting started. 'The beauty of the GT world challenge is that age is no limit,' she said. 'The doors actually aren't closed for, you know, someone in their 30s who's a strong Am driver, if anything, I'm actually quite valuable.'
Scottish Sun
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Major car brand pulls the plug on iconic sports car's comeback as it's not ‘viable in the market'
A total of 45,949 units were sold during its original 17-year run NO RETURN Major car brand pulls the plug on iconic sports car's comeback as it's not 'viable in the market' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUMOURS of the iconic Audi R8's revival appear to have been quashed, with one of the company's key decision-makers claiming its return is not on the cards. Last month, it seemed the beloved supercar – which first debuted in 2006 but was discontinued just a year ago – was set to return as a supremely fast plug-in hybrid. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The legendary Audi R8 is not set for a revival - with one of the company's decision-makers saying its return is not 'viable in the market' Credit: Getty 3 The iconic supercar isn't currently on the VW Group's road map Credit: Handout 3 Rumour had it the next gen R8 would be mechanically twinned with the Lamborghini Temerario Credit: HANDOUT The supercar's reintroduction was reportedly pencilled in for 2027, according to Autocar, which claimed the next-generation R8 had progressed beyond the feasibility stage. However, speaking to the media at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, Kjell Gruner, the new CEO of Volkswagen Group America, reportedly said the R8's return would depend on 'what's viable in the market.' Outlets including Motor1 further reported that he went on to say: "A mid-engine, internal combustion engine vehicle, I don't see that on the road map." Rumours of its return originated from unnamed sources, who claimed it had the backing of Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. Intriguingly, many of the alleged details of the third-generation R8 had been meticulously planned, particularly its powertrain. Reports suggested it would combine Lamborghini's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 – borrowed from its fellow VW Group brand – with electric motors to deliver hybrid performance. To that end, Autocar added that the return of the R8 would coincide with the launch of the Lamborghini Temerario, and that the top-of-the-range R8 Performance model would have been capable of producing close to 1,000 bhp. This seemed plausible, given that the first two generations of the R8 also shared much with their Lamborghini counterparts – first the Gallardo, and then the Huracan. The rumoured R8's focus on everyday usability also positioned it as a key rival to the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911. For now, however, the return of the R8 remains just that – rumours – with the only silver lining being that Gruner's comments don't entirely rule out a new Audi flagship. The people's supercar is the bargain of the decade & still looks as gorgeous as ever Unfortunately, though, it seems unlikely that such a vehicle would be powered by a mid-mounted combustion engine. A total of 45,949 Audi R8s sold in its original 17-year run. It comes as Audi revealed last month it is set to axe the incredibly popular A1 and Q2 models next year - with an EV lined up as their replacement. Both cars, which are big sellers for the German brand - especially the A1 hatchback - are also the two cheapest among their range.
The Irish Sun
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Major car brand pulls the plug on iconic sports car's comeback as it's not ‘viable in the market'
RUMOURS of the iconic Audi R8's revival appear to have been quashed, with one of the company's key decision-makers claiming its return is not on the cards. Last month, it seemed the beloved supercar – which first debuted in 2006 but was discontinued just a year ago – Advertisement 3 The legendary Audi R8 is not set for a revival - with one of the company's decision-makers saying its return is not 'viable in the market' Credit: Getty 3 The iconic supercar isn't currently on the VW Group's road map Credit: Handout 3 Rumour had it the next gen R8 would be mechanically twinned with the Lamborghini Temerario Credit: HANDOUT The supercar's reintroduction was reportedly pencilled in for 2027, according to Autocar, which claimed the next-generation R8 had progressed beyond the feasibility stage. However, speaking to the media at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, Kjell Gruner, the new CEO of Volkswagen Group America, reportedly said the R8's return would depend on 'what's viable in the market.' Outlets including Motor1 further reported that he went on to say: "A mid-engine, internal combustion engine vehicle, I don't see that on the road map." Rumours of its return originated from unnamed sources, who claimed it had the backing of Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. Advertisement Read more Motors News Intriguingly, many of the alleged details of the third-generation R8 had been meticulously planned, particularly its powertrain. Reports suggested it would combine Lamborghini's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 – borrowed from its fellow VW Group brand – with electric motors to deliver hybrid performance. To that end, Autocar added that the return of the R8 would coincide with the launch of the Lamborghini Temerario, and that the top-of-the-range R8 Performance model would have been capable of producing close to 1,000 bhp. This seemed plausible, given that the first two generations of the R8 also shared much with their Lamborghini counterparts – first the Gallardo, and then the Huracan. Advertisement Most read in Motors Exclusive The rumoured R8's focus on everyday usability also positioned it as a key rival to the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911. For now, however, the return of the R8 remains just that – rumours – with the only silver lining being that Gruner's comments don't entirely rule out a new Audi flagship. The people's supercar is the bargain of the decade & still looks as gorgeous as ever Unfortunately, though, it seems unlikely that such a vehicle would be powered by a mid-mounted combustion engine. A total of 45,949 Audi R8s sold in its original 17-year run. Advertisement It comes as Both cars, which are big sellers for the German brand - especially the A1 hatchback - are also the two cheapest among their range.
The Sun
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Major car brand pulls the plug on iconic sports car's comeback as it's not ‘viable in the market'
RUMOURS of the iconic Audi R8's revival appear to have been quashed, with one of the company's key decision-makers claiming its return is not on the cards. Last month, it seemed the beloved supercar – which first debuted in 2006 but was discontinued just a year ago – was set to return as a supremely fast plug-in hybrid. 3 3 3 The supercar's reintroduction was reportedly pencilled in for 2027, according to Autocar, which claimed the next-generation R8 had progressed beyond the feasibility stage. However, speaking to the media at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, Kjell Gruner, the new CEO of Volkswagen Group America, reportedly said the R8's return would depend on 'what's viable in the market.' Outlets including Motor1 further reported that he went on to say: "A mid-engine, internal combustion engine vehicle, I don't see that on the road map." Rumours of its return originated from unnamed sources, who claimed it had the backing of Audi CEO Gernot Döllner. Intriguingly, many of the alleged details of the third-generation R8 had been meticulously planned, particularly its powertrain. Reports suggested it would combine Lamborghini 's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 – borrowed from its fellow VW Group brand – with electric motors to deliver hybrid performance. To that end, Autocar added that the return of the R8 would coincide with the launch of the Lamborghini Temerario, and that the top-of-the-range R8 Performance model would have been capable of producing close to 1,000 bhp. This seemed plausible, given that the first two generations of the R8 also shared much with their Lamborghini counterparts – first the Gallardo, and then the Huracan. The rumoured R8's focus on everyday usability also positioned it as a key rival to the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911. For now, however, the return of the R8 remains just that – rumours – with the only silver lining being that Gruner's comments don't entirely rule out a new Audi flagship. Unfortunately, though, it seems unlikely that such a vehicle would be powered by a mid-mounted combustion engine. A total of 45,949 Audi R8s sold in its original 17-year run. It comes as Audi revealed last month it is set to axe the incredibly popular A1 and Q2 models next year - with an EV lined up as their replacement. Both cars, which are big sellers for the German brand - especially the A1 hatchback - are also the two cheapest among their range.
