--- title: "Audi A8 Production Is Ending After 32 Years With No Successor in Sight" date: "2026-03-06" modified: "2026-03-06" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/audi-a8-production-is-ending-after-32-years-with-no-successor-in-sight" categories: - "Audi News" - "News" - "News by Brand" --- # Audi A8 Production Is Ending After 32 Years With No Successor in Sight ![Audi A8 rear three-quarter view]() *\Audi\* For over three decades, the A8 has represented the pinnacle of Audi's ambitions. At a time when luxury marques around the world were defined by their flagship executive sedans—the Mercedes S-Class, the BMW 7 Series, the Lexus LS—Ingolstadt needed its very own to lead the way. But lately, [Audi]() hasn't hinted at any plan to replace the current, [fourth-gen A8](), which first hit showrooms in 2017, foreshadowing news the brand has shared today: Production of the A8 is ending without a successor in sight. Audi confirmed to *The Drive* that it actually stopped taking orders in Germany for the A8 weeks ago, on February 18. The sedan remains on sale in the U.S. at the time of writing, and it's unclear when our order books will close as well. A representative from the automaker stipulated that it "will only communicate further details about a possible successor at a later date," which leaves the model's future up in the air. This doesn't definitively mark the end, but if it turns out to be, we may not know for years. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The A8's absence from Audi's German configurator was first clocked by [*Motor1*]() early Friday. At one point, a next-gen model was expected to effectively take the form of a production version of the [2021 Grandsphere concept]()—a large electric sedan with a new design language. That plan was shelved, possibly influenced by Porsche's reported decision to delay its K1 electric SUV, with which a prospective future A8 could've shared a platform. Audi's confirmed none of this, of course, but the tumultuous nature of EV investments from the beginning of the decade until now has wreaked havoc on practically every automaker's roadmap. And so Audi's once-flagship has bitten the dust, [just like the Lexus LS](). With any luck, this will prove a mere hiatus for the A8 caused by the EV platform shakeup, and the company is still eyeing a successor. When all is said and done, it'll just have been a bit delayed. We'll keep our fingers crossed. *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()