Audi will launch new models under the banner of Audi Sport GmbH, its new division

The time has come for Audi to step forward and has reacted to restructure part of its divisions into something more attractive and dynamic. The main change has been the renaming of Quattro GmbH to Audi Sport GmbH. Yes, it is a symbolic change, but it comes with a relaunch of the division to be ready for the future challenges facing the brand and to present new proposals to lead a market that never stops and always wants to move forward.

Recently we learned that Audi has withdrawn from competitions such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans to focus on new developments in electric and hybrid vehicles, so it is ready to head in that direction and prepare new projects that we are sure will interest us. Let’s see what it has prepared for us.

There are several projects underway, located in four factories under the same umbrella of the new brand, which have a lot to do with competition cars but also with customised road cars with special features. Among the roughly 1,200 employees under the Audi Sport GmbH brand is Stephan Winkelmann, the former head of Lamborghini, who joined Audi in March, with the intention of running four production divisions.

The company’s new division proposes new models under the RS badge One of these divisions is responsible for keeping vehicle production running for Formula E and DTM, in addition to maintaining the Audi Sport TT Cup and selling and servicing the R8 LMS and the RS3 LMS for competition customers. Audi also continues to support the Rally team led by Mattias Ekström, so its presence in the sporting world is clear and active.

High-performance road cars

But where we will stop is at the brand’s other division, the one that will offer striking cars for our roads. This latter division is responsible for producing the Audi R8 supercar; the Audi S8 Plus saloon and five models under the RS badge: the RS3 saloon; the RS Q3 crossover; the RS6 Avant; the RS7 Sportback and the TTS, in both coupé and roadster versions.

Offering these models is no simple task, but Audi Sport GmbH wants to do exactly what we said before: push ahead. So the announcement of eight new models over the next 18 months. We expect an RS5 version, including a Sportback, but it could also be that some of these models are more up-to-date versions of existing models.

Nevertheless, we find that the market lacks RS versions of models such as the Audi A1, Q2, Q3 and Q7, among others, so there is the possibility of seeing these versions in a very, very near future. Will they dare? We won’t have to wait long to find out.

Via | Carscoops