In case you missed the memo, Audi will be launching its last new car powered by the combustion engine in years as every new product from 2026 will be purely electric. From 2033, the luxury brand will only sell EVs, with the possible exception of China where local demand may dictate Four Rings to resume production of ICE cars. Before the gradual shift to EVs begins, conventionally powered performance cars are coming out with a bang.
After announcing in an interview with Car next-gen A8 to premiere in 2024 as production-ready Grandsphere, company design boss sits down and chats with Upper Equipment magazine. When asked about what petrol car plans would appeal to enthusiasts, Marc Lichte took advantage of the RS final for combustion engines:
“I promise you, both the EV and ICE will impress. Especially the last generation ICE RS models, they will both be bwoah… jaw-dropping.”
He refrained from sharing details as the interview mostly revolved around electric vehicles. However, we already know the next-generation RS4 and RS6 will sport a plug-in hybrid powertrain, so the days of pure ICE models with the RS badge are numbered. The R8 will be gone, as will the TT RS, while the Q3 RS and its Sportback counterpart likely won’t be keeping the factory five-cylinder after this generation.
As far as EVs are concerned, the 2021 E-Tron A6 concept is a “very concrete” preview of the next production car, which will retain 90 percent of the styling. Marc Lichte mentions a widebody version is in the works for the RS6 E-Tron, complete with bigger wheels and a wider track.
Keep in mind Audi has also introduced the A6 Avant E-Tron, and logic dictates that the road RS6 will be a wagon. That said, it’s worth pointing out there was an RS6 Sedan in the past but that was before the RS7 Sportback which served as an indirect replacement. The head of design at Ingolstadt tells Upper Equipment The RS6 E-Tron will be the daily driver who is already an electric car because Lichte is currently using the e-Tron GT.
The person in charge of Audi design said the A6 E-Tron, Q6 E-Tron and future electric RS models were presented internally during a meeting in Berlin with 1,000 managers. Their reaction? “They go crazy when they see pictures and models on stage.”
