Audi Sport plans to double its sales by 2023 as part of a huge expansion of the marque's performance arm.
Audi Sport, now under an entirely new management team led by joint managing directors Oliver Hoffmann and Julius Seebach, also plans to bring the high-performance RS models to market much quicker than the standard Audis on which they are based, down from 18 months after the launch of a standard car to around six.
Sales of Audi Sport models were around 30,000 units globally in 2018 and the plan is to take that to 60,000 by 2023.
A big model expansion is already underway in 2019, with new Audi RS4, RS6, Audi RS7 and RS Q3 models joining the Audi TT RS, Audi RS3 and RS5 models already on sale, and RS Q3 Sportback and RS Q8 models confirmed as entirely new additions to the line-up.
The RS6 brings 48V mild-hybrid technology that sees Audi Sport models electrified for the first time, and the company has confirmed that electrification will be a feature of all of its models in the future.
Hoffmann confirmed to Autocar that the next-generation RS4 would switch to a plug-in hybrid drivetrain when it launches early in the next decade. The facelifted current-generation car due at the turn of the year would maintain a twin-turbo V6 powertrain.
Hoffmann also confirmed there would be a next-generation R8 and it would be electrified, but a decision has yet to be taken on whether it will be a hybrid of a full electric car. Autocar understands Audi is leaning towards the latter option, with the R8 becoming the second fully electric Audi Sport model after the E-tron GT in 2020.
An RS1 was also not ruled out by Hoffmann as part of the expansion plans. “All models are under consideration to reach our sales targets,” he said.
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Needs more polyfilla
Big wedgy holes in the nose. Needs some polyfilla or plasterboard. Or maybe just finish designing it in an interesting way so air gets to the brakes but without half the front end missing. Lazy design doesn’t make legends.