Audi thwarts plans to bring back one of its most iconic models: "It's not viable."

German carmaker Audi has denied that it will reissue one of its most successful recent models, the R8 sports car , despite rumors that it was going to return as a plug-in hybrid.

As The Sun reports, the supercar's reintroduction was planned for 2027, and the next-generation R8 had also progressed beyond the feasibility stage.

However, speaking to the media at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, Kjell Gruner , the new CEO of Volkswagen Group America, said the R8's return would depend on "what's viable in the marketplace."

Some specialist media reported that Kjell Gruner added: "A vehicle with an internal combustion engine and a mid-engine... I don't see that on the roadmap," despite rumours suggesting that the Bavarian firm's CEO, Gernot Döllner, was the driving force behind the new R8.

A total of 45,949 Audi R8s were sold during its original 17-year production run. In fact, the Ingolstadt-based company stopped producing it until last year, 2024.