All good things come to an end and that’s clear today as Audi has built the last R8. The news hardly comes as a surprise, as the automaker had previously announced plans to phase out the model in the first quarter, but it’s bittersweet nonetheless.
Audi has been tight-lipped about the end of production, but Top Gear was on hand to see the final model being built at the Böllinger Höfe plant in Germany. They’re reporting the car was a Vegas Yellow R8 V10 Performance Quattro Edition coupe with bronze wheels as well as a carbon fiber styling package.
The model is now set to live a quiet life as it will reportedly be placed in a museum, so future generations can remember the good old days. That it took so long for the final car to be built is a testament to the R8’s popularity as, when its death was announced, Audi received a surge of orders. This pushed the automaker to extend production by a few more months.
Speaking of availability, a quick search online shows there are over 100 R8s available as new at U.S. dealerships. Many appear to be priced at or below MSRP, so it appears dealers won’t spoil an otherwise fond farewell.
Taking a stroll down memory lane, the R8 was previewed by the Le Mans quattro concept that was introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car was highly praised and the production model arrived three years later as a high-performance halo vehicle.
More: Audi Goes Anticlimactic, Says Goodbye To R8 With A Video Fans Can Vote On
The car elevated the brand to new heights and was featured in the original Iron Man movie. A second-generation R8 was introduced at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and was followed by the short-lived R8 e-tron.
If the R8 were to ever get a revival, it would likely mimic the latter model and have a fully electric powertrain. There have been a lot of rumors about this possibility and the latest have suggested “work is well under way on an electric successor to the R8.”
