- Audi has confirmed that 2023 will be the last model year for the R8 supercar.
- The GT model will serve as a sendoff for the V-10–powered coupe and convertible.
- Rumors suggest that an electric replacement may arrive at some point, but the timeline is not clear.
The Audi R8 supercar will soon reach the end of the line, Audi recently confirmed to C/D during a drive of the new GT model. The 2023 model year will be the last for the R8 in the U.S., and this new trim joins the lineup to serve as a sendoff for the mid-engined coupe and convertible as they sunset. The 2023 R8 is currently offered in 562-hp RWD form and 602-hp Quattro form, plus the GT which is a 602-hp RWD model with other modifications.
The R8 first arrived for the 2008 model year, and the first-generation model offered both a 4.2-liter V-8 engine and a 5.2-liter V-10. The R8's second generation went V-10 only and has been around since the 2017 model year in the U.S. Audi only sells several hundred R8s each year, but it has served as an important halo model for the brand's RS performance cars.
It's unclear what's coming down the pipe to replace the R8 as Audi's flagship sports car. Rumors suggest that an electric supercar called the RNext is in the works, but these plans are uncertain and an Audi spokesperson denied these rumors to C/D. Even if it did materialize, such a vehicle likely wouldn't arrive until 2029 at the earliest.
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
