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Earlier this week we heard, via our colleagues at Car and Driver, that Audi has no plans to build a successor to the current R8 supercar. Well, according to another report, the R8 isn't the only big-engine Audi going away. The W12-powered variant of the A8 is set for the chopping block as well.
In a discussion attended by Car and Driver, Peter Mertens, Audi's R&D boss, revealed to journalists at the Geneva Motor Show that the Audi A8's 585-horsepower W12 trim is not long for this world. “We will not have the 12-cylinder forever,” Mertens said. “There are customers who really want the 12-cylinder and they are happy with it and are going to get it," he added. "But this is going to be the last installation."
Audi revealed the current A8 in 2017; assuming the W12 is available for the full lifespan of this model, 12-cylinder fans will likely have several years to get their large-displacement Audi. And if you're a fan of VW Group's compact 12-pot engine, don't worry—Bentley has no intention of getting rid of the engine, which featured most recently in the all new Continental GT packing 626 horsepower.
Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
