Audi Is In The Thick Of It
Things are not going particularly well for Audi, which has sold less than half as many cars so far this year as arch-rival BMW, and that’s after a decline in 2024. A tiny portion of this might be attributed to the fact that Audi had to hold cars in ports earlier this year as it sought to find clarity on tariff impacts. With a deal to minimize how hefty those tariffs will be for the foreseeable future just being signed, the effects of those tariffs on European automakers like Audi won’t be as great, but it’s not enough for Audi to simply keep surviving. German publication Bild has got the inside track on how Audi CEO Gernot Döllner is weathering the storm. The executive spoke seriously about the “need to get back on track,” but he also thinks the brand is “passing through the lowest point.”
His optimism seems to stem from a new design era that will begin later this year, and he’s now provided more details on what that will aim to do for the brand, including confirming that the concept will be presented at IAA Munich in September, with a production version scheduled to arrive within the next two years.
A Sports Car With Emotion
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Last month, the CEO said that the first concept under new design boss Massimo Frascella would be revealed this year as a “bold step” forward that would have realistic tenets, rather than the distantly futuristic concepts we’ve seen before (ahem, variable-wheelbase Audi skysphere concept). Echoing those comments in his most recent interview, Döllner said the concept will be an “identity builder,” saying it’s known internally as the “TT Moment 2.0.” That’s not just a target but perhaps a premonition. “I have a gut feeling that we are on the verge of such a TT moment,” indicating that the concept will be such a design masterpiece that buyers won’t be able to resist.
With less context, his earlier comments appeared to herald the return of the TT itself for a fourth generation, but the CEO elaborated that the new “highly emotional sports car” will be “something in between” the beloved R8 supercar and the iconic TT. This could well be a repurposed Porsche 718 EV, but Döllner didn’t confirm what sort of powertrain to expect. If it is electric, at least a new R8 may only be electrified.
An R8 Also Appears To Be In The Works
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Earlier this year, unconfirmed reports emerged claiming that a next-gen R8 was in the works. Dated March 10th, the report claimed that a third-generation R8 was almost complete and could arrive in late 2027. That’s around the time that the production version of the concept we’ve been discussing is expected, so take the rumor wth a pinch of salt (two enthusiast cars in quick succession seems a bit hasty for a troubled brand), but if accurate, Audi will repeat its previous supercar formula by knocking on the door of its exotic corporate cousin, Lamborghini, and asking to use its baby supercar as a starting point. As long as the new R8 feels as different to the Temerario as the old one did to the Huracán, we doubt the Italians will mind helping out.