Luxury automakers are not immune to market changes—quite the opposite. The Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman are going away, Mercedes-Benz told us a while back it was killing half of its lineup—which included most convertibles, coupes, and wagons—and now, Audi is reportedly giving the boot to its two-doors and droptops. Sigh.
Blame continued cost-cutting, profit-margin gluttony, or simply consumer perception, but every year our non-SUV/truck/crossover options dwindle. So far in 2024, we’ve written eulogies for the Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio duo, Chevy Malibu, Nissan GT-R, Nissan Versa, and Subaru Legacy.
The German automaker hasn’t formally spoken about the discontinuation of its A5, S5, and RS5 coupe and cabriolet models. However, as Carscoops points out, their absence from the 2025 model-year rollcall was telling. The press release reads: “The 2025 A5 family includes the A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, and RS5 Sportback.”
Well, that sucks.
This marks the first time in decades that the Audi portfolio will be without a coupe or a convertible. It’s not like Ingolstadt doesn’t know how to produce stellar examples of them. Yes, Audi abandoned the R8 and TT last year because of sales, electrification, blah blah blah. But not before the R8 and TT earned a spot on our wall of beloved icons.
Their designs, although unlike the other, are timeless. The TT didn’t exactly excel in power and performance but neither does the MX-5 Miata. Yet both are considered sports cars. And the TT was as charming and fun as a small two-seater could be. The R8, however, was born a V8-powered, Le Mans-inspired beast and remained that way, eventually offering a V10. As such, a proper send-off meant lapping it at Laguna Seca. Somewhere, Tony Stark was smiling.
As for the A5 and its hi-po variants, we’ve never not liked them. In fact, we’re glad Audi is keeping some cars in its crossover-heavy lineup. Because let’s face it, even when automakers want to keep something, the universe dictates otherwise.
For example, Genesis absolutely insisted it wasn’t giving up on sedans only for the G70 to not be listed in future production estimates. And, shoot, not even Porsche could save the manuals. Starting with the 2025 model, the 911 will be without a stick shift for the first time in its 60-year history.
So, cheers to the coupes and cabriolets. Thanks for sticking around for as long as you did.