Audi is in a little bit of hot water at the moment, suffering from declining sales and reduced profitability despite a thoroughly modern automobile lineup that includes the ferocious RS 5 sport sedan and affordable Q3 small SUV. The automaker’s financial stress isn’t curtailing the peanut gallery from spreading rumors of a revitalized enthusiast Audi lineup – including a reborn R8 – but whatever gossip is out there, the automaker isn’t giving any secrets away.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner carefully avoided mentioning the bygone supercar while extolling the virtues of the Lamborghini Temerario, despite it being tipped to be the basis of a new Four Rings flagship.
Base Trim Engine
5.2L V10 Gas
Base Trim Transmission
7-Speed Automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
562 hp
Base Trim Torque
406 lb-ft @ 6300 rpm
Fuel Economy
14/23 MPG
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
Audi Boss Is A ‘Big Fan Of V8s’
Speaking to a roundtable gathering of automotive journalists, where CarBuzz was in attendance, Döllner was frank in his admiration of the engine layout. Currently, Audi offers a V8 in a handful of its models, including the RS 6 Avant super-wagon and the sporty and sensible SQ7 family SUV, but a less performance-oriented version of that twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter mill is also rumored to appear in the automaker’s forthcoming flagship SUV, the Q9.
Audi Q9 prototype spy photoCarBuzz/Valnet
“It’s a perfect fit for full size SUVs, and whenever it’s possible, packaging-wise, there’s no restraint to having that engine in a different vehicle concept,” Döllner said. However, he rather quickly pivoted to the twin-turbocharged, plug-in hybrid V6 found under the hood of the aforementioned 2027 RS 5, citing that engine’s enthusiastic power delivery and instant electric torque as a proverbial “replacement for displacement.”
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That made us wonder whether exciting V8s would still be a part of Audi’s future plans, considering the naturally aspirated 4.2-liter from the original RS 5 is held in such high regard among company diehards.
Fun With Economies Of Scale
2023 Audi R8 GTAudi
Then again, although Döllner artfully avoided mentioning the R8 supercar by name, he still pointed out that corporate sibling Lamborghini has a rather brilliant V8 in its stable, the flat-plane-crank, twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter found in the Temerario. Producing 789 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque all on its own, the Temerario’s internal-combustion engine is an engineering marvel with an emotive 10,250-rpm rev limit and some of the most exciting exhaust noises we’ve ever heard – perfect for a flagship supercar from Audi.
Furthermore, Döllner also reminded the roundtable that Audi has the benefit of leveraging its parent company Volkswagen Group’s various brands and technologies to create the right car for its own customers. For example, he called out the Concept C show car – whose production follow-up might be called the C Sport – acknowledging that it would be based on a Porsche-engineered electric platform while also insisting that it will still feel appropriately “Audi” to brand loyalists.
“We have these opportunities [as part of the] Volkswagen Group to come from the different technical solutions and combine them. The C Sport is an example of how we can build a car with character based on a Porsche platform, yet the result is clear Audi. And that’s our approach, to have our customers in mind and come up with the right solutions.”
– Gernot Döllner, Audi CEO
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He followed the statement above with a smile, a nod, and a “Good idea!” but wouldn’t be drawn into further discussions on the possibilities. The CEO seemed to intimate that between the supercar’s rumored revival and the automaker’s ability to borrow and retune other Volkswagen Group platforms, a new R8 is a distinct possibility.
And as with the V6-powered RS 5, it seems likely that if a flagship Audi supercar comes along, it’ll offer PHEV capability. A trio of hybrid motors in the Temerario boosts its powertrain from 789 to 907 hp, although it’s possible Audi would choose its own electrification strategy to help distinguish the R8 from its Lamborghini littermate.
