It's been only two months since Audi discontinued the all-electric Audi R8 e-Tron, after only a couple of years on the market, and word has it that the gasoline-powered supercar is also scheduled to get the ax soon. A new report claims that Audi isn't happy with the supercar's slow sales and that it's not planning to develop a replacement for the current model. This means that the R8 will be phased out in 2020, an event that will put an end to Audi's only supercar to date after 14 years.

That's the word from Automobile, which claims to have information about the Audi Sport's immediate future. While the performance division is looking to expand with new versions of the RS4 and RS5, as well as an RS Q8 SUV with underpinnings from the Lamborghini Urus, there won't be an R8 beyond 2018. The outlet doesn't into much detail but says that the new Lamborghini Huracan will no longer share its engine and chassis with the R8 because there won't be a new Audi-badged supercar due to slow sales.

The second-generation R8 is only two years old, having been introduced in 2015. Unlike its predecessor, the new model came with a V-10 engine only (shared with the Huracan), while the entry-level V-8 was dropped from the lineup. Two V-12 versions are offered, one that's as powerful as the Huracan (R8 V10 Plus) at 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet and the base model with 540 horses and 398 pound-feet. Alongside the regular R8, Audi also launched an all-electric e-Tron version and a rear-wheel-driven variant.

If this rumor proves to be true, it will be far from surprising. The R8 has yet to make a name for itself as a full-fledged supercar, and even though it was popular in its first years on the market, interest has decreased significantly in recent years. On the other hand, it is a bit surprising that Audi doesn't even want to create a successor. This doesn't necessarily mean that the Germans have given up on this segment, but we probably won't see a similar vehicle in the near future.

The bigger issue here is that the Audi R8 spawned quite a popular and successful race car. The R8 LMS is the number one choice for privateers in many GT3, and GT4 categories and its disappearance will probably leave a few gearheads disappointed. It wouldn't be completely weird for Audi to keep the race car alive, but it remains to be seen if such a move is financially feasible without a road car.

References

Audi R8

Read our full review on the 2017 Audi R8.

Read our full review on the 2017 Audi R8 Spyder.

Read more Audi news.