Mercedes Reveals Secret Red Pig Concept, Audi Slashes Prices

Audi has just slashed prices on its Q6 e-tron by up to €7,000, Mercedes quietly reveals a 'Red Pig' concept no one had ever seen, and an S63 AMG loses €80,000 in 9,000 kilometers. Three seemingly disparate pieces of news, yet they tell the same story: the German premium industry is under pressure, and the masks are coming off.

"The concept revives the livery of the Rote Sau from the 1971 24 Hours of Spa, but replaces real sponsor brands with fictional equivalents — Castrol becomes Carlsbad, after the California city where Mercedes has its advanced design studio." — Autocar UK

Audi Q6 e-tron Cuts Prices, and That's No Small Matter

Launched in late 2024, the Q6 e-tron is already on sale. Audi has enacted reductions of up to €7,000 on its best-selling versions, an 8.6% discount just months after launch. The entry-level variant with the 251 hp motor and 83 kWh battery has been dropped from the lineup — too few orders to justify its continuation.

That leaves two configurations: the Performance with 306 hp and 639 km of range, now starting at €70,900 (Design trim) or €74,500 (S line), down from €77,400. And the Quattro, which gains 41 hp to reach 428 hp, starting at €76,950 versus €83,450 before the price revision.

The unofficial reason for this move? The imminent arrival of the BMW iX3 and the Mercedes GLC EQ, two rivals priced around €5,000 less. Audi didn't wait to be overtaken before acting — but it would be naive to think this discount is mere commercial generosity. When a manufacturer cuts €7,000 off a model just six months old, the market is sending clear signals.

The 'Red Pig' Resurrected: Gorden Wagener Leaves with a Secret

Gorden Wagener left Mercedes in January 2026 after 28 years at the house, handing the reins to Bastian Baudy, former AMG design director. But before leaving, he slipped into his portfolio a concept no one had ever seen.

Wagener reimagined the legendary 300 SEL 'Rote Sau' — the 'Red Sow' that raced the 24 Hours of Spa in 1971 and is widely said to have birthed AMG. His concept modernizes the original silhouette: stacked headlights give way to three-pointed stars, the chrome grille adopts the 'Iconic Grille' introduced on the Vision Iconic and the new GLC, and the boxy roofline of the 300 SEL softens to evoke the Ponton sedan of the 1950s.

According to Autocar, Wagener himself calls the piece an 'unseen show car' — a concept never publicly presented. This detail is worth pausing over: a design director leaves a century-old marque, taking in his luggage an object he had evidently kept to himself.

Why This Concept Now?

Does This 'Red Pig' Hint at Something Concrete?

Probably not immediately. Autocar notes that the concept 'does not point to concrete plans for retro-modern production cars.' But viewed alongside the Vision Iconic, it signals a clear intent among the brand's designers: to mine Mercedes' history for what Chinese brands cannot copy. Heritage, patina, narrative.

Wagener had told Autocar that the brand's new design language would revolve around 'respect': "You deserve some respect if you buy a Mercedes. You've made something out of yourself and you've been successful in life." It's a polished way of saying Mercedes wants to reclaim the symbolic ground that Asian premium EVs are beginning to nibble away.

Baudy, Wagener's successor, will have to manage the legacy of this concept without