Death Of The Audi TT As We Know It Confirmed, R8's Future Undecided
When we reviewed the updated Audi TT S, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of finality. Audi was, at the time, known to be mulling over the future of the compact coupe.
And now, we know exactly what will happen to it. At the German company’s annual general meeting in Neckarsulm this week, the end of the TT as we know it was confirmed. It will be replaced but by a fully electric vehicle.
Bram Schot, Chairman of the Board of Management at Audi AG, has this to say:
“We now decide at an earlier stage which ideas from our innovation exchanges we want to implement – and which not. Because focusing also includes leaving things out. The Audi TT, for example. For two decades, we have had this young, emotive sports car in our product range: as a coupe and as a roadster…In a few years, we will replace the TT with a new emotive model in the same price range: with an electric car.”
Beyond that, no further details were given. The EV replacement may not even be a coupe - previous reports had suggested that the next TT would be a saloon, although that’s something Audi subsequently denied.
With the TT having just been facelifted, it at least will be kicking around in its current form for another few years yet. Even the inline-five-powered TT RS, which we tested this week, can be sold until at least January 2021 thanks to its new petrol particulate filter.
But how about the TT’s big brother, the R8? It’s been widely expected that it too will disappear and return as an EV, but according to Schot, its future is unknown at this stage.
“As I said, focusing also means leaving out. For example, the R8 sports car. Do we need a successor with a combustion engine? Does this fit in with our vision? The discussion will give us an answer to that,” he said.
The “discussion” may involve the plans of Audi subsidiary Lamborghini, which is currently looking to hybridise its next generation of supercars to allow it to retain naturally-aspirated V10 and V12 engines.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
I’ll miss the TT. It’s such a mad car.
The air hostesses car is dead. Sad face
Whilst it’s sad to see the loss of such an important car in the industry, if they replace it with an electric car around the same price that is equally as “emotive”, or even just a straight up “TT-e”, I’ll be, overall, happier. The thing that’s stopped me from buying an electric car thus far has been the lack of a truly sporty cars that normal people can afford.
I’m still crossing my fingers that the MG E-Motion will make 2020 production. It was greenlit so, fingers crossed.
Tbh I never like the tt but it is a fun sports car drive and Audi is on crack for trying to cancel the production of the car
Yes!
I bet it will return as electric SUV.
I’d say that sounds crazy, but at this point it’s always possible
Believe it or not, it already exists as a concept…
Press F to pay respects. It deserves it
I mean Audi is on drugs rn they may cancel the R8 production and bring the gay electric cars which is bs and who wants a electric sports car
But they can’t kill the R8. What’s wrong with them!
Like everyone who is concerend with performance wants an electric sports car.
Proper torque vectoring, instant response, more linear braking performance.
There is a reason why electric holds the pikes peak record by a country mile.
Petrol engines are going to be obsolete in new cars within 15 years.
What you want =/= what people who actually have money want. And it’s the latter that ultimately determines what Audi makes.
whatever the market wants it’ll get. ur not in that market yet. as a company, audi has to make some sort of profit, and if that means cutting cars out of its scheme, well, it has to do what it has to do
also lmao fam have u at least sat in an electric car?
The TT was amazing.
F
F
That actually sucks!