It will be a sad day if Audi will ever decide to drop the R8 like some of the reports have been indicating. Not all hope is lost as the naturally aspirated supercar could transition to an EV as per a recent statement made by Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler, the company’s board member for technical development. If that’s going to be the case, we’re hoping it won’t suffer from the same fate as the defunct R8 E-Tron.
More of the facelifted model:
Whatever the future may have in store for the R8, the current model is hands down one of the most desirable cars money can buy. In this range-topping R8 V10 Performance guise painted in Ascari Blue, the flagship sports car from the Four Rings definitely has that wow factor. The custom 20-inch ABT wheels with a dark finish also help as the aftermarket shoes blend nicely with the other black accents.
Gallery: 2019 Audi R8 V10 Performance in the Alps
Motor1.com long-time friend Auditography had the privilege of immortalising the V10 coupe in this facelifted flavour during a recent trip to the Austrian Alps. As you probably know by now, the Performance version is effectively a replacement for the pre-facelift R8 V10 Plus and comes with slightly more power (+9 hp and +15 lb-ft) generated by the 5.2 FSI.
Even if Audi will ultimately decide to retire the R8 without developing a direct successor, you still have at least a couple of years to buy the current model provided your bank account can handle a six-digit price tag. Speaking of pricing, the Ingolstadt-based marque has said the supercar will remain strictly a V10-only affair, so you can say goodbye to that long-rumoured cheaper V6 model.