Audi have made no secret about wanting to become the world’s largest luxury automaker by 2018. This means they’ll need to keep their line-up fresh and the latest evidence shows to just what extent the automaker is planning to do so…
Audi has filed papers with the European trademark office to protect seven new car names: Q6, Q8, R6, S2, S9, RS1, and RS8. While the Q6 is already known to exist and is still in the testing stages, the other models will likely be seen in.
The R6 is likely a variant of Audi’s mid-engine super car the R8 that will probably ride on a smaller platform and be slightly more affordable. Q6 and Q8 will be the brands newest SUVs, with Q6 being introduced to compete with BMW’s X6 crossover, and the Q8 slotting in as the largest most luxurious SUV in Audi’s fleet.
The names S2 and S9 suggest the the brand will introduce two more cars into the lineup, which will be called A2 and A9. The S2 and S9 will be the sports performance version of these cars. Rumors of a model above the current flagship A8 have been suggested in the past, while the revival of the S2 name suggests an exciting performance oriented coupe.
The RS1 badge could be reserved for a slightly detuned version of the limited edition A1 Quattro that has already been released. An Audi RS1 could potentially slot in between the 188 kW A1 Quattro and the 136 kW A1 1.4 TSFI S-Line model.