New reports out of Germany suggest that cost-saving measures set to be implemented by the Volkswagen Group mean Audi will no longer be allowed to engineer its own platforms, leading to speculation about the future of the R8.
According to Der Spiegel, the Ingolstadt brand will soon be forced to abandon its in-house-developed MLB platform, which underpins everything from the A4 to A8, as the Group attempts to offset the spiralling costs of the diesel emissions scandal.
That means future compact Audi models would likely employ Volkswagen’s transverse-engined MQB platform, with larger models set to be underpinned by a “common modular system [shared] with Porsche and Bentley”, says the German magazine.
The R8’s mid-engined platform is also apparently under threat, with the publication suggesting that a next-generation model may not even be produced. If a third-gen R8 does see the light of day, though, Der Spiegel reckons it could share its underpinnings with an upcoming version of the Porsche 911 (which, of course, is likely to stay rear-engined).
That last point, we’re sure you’ll agree, comes across as pure speculation. And what it means for the Lamborghini Huracan’s eventual successor is anyone’s guess…
