Audi A8, Porsche Panamera Could Share PlatformDavid BushAudi's flagship A8 sedan may be on the way out right now, but the four-ringed brand has promised that it will return at some point. Thanks to a new report, we now have an idea of when it might come back—and the shape it might take if it hits the market again.According an Automotive News report citing German newspaper Heilbronner Stimme, the next A8 is likely to be built at a Porsche plant in Leipzig. It would share a structure with the next generation of Panamera, effectively securing the future of a flagship sedan for two of the VW Group's luxury brands. The deal would mirror the structure currently in place for another sedan shared over both brands, the electric Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT.AudiIt would also mean an Audi product leaving an Audi factory, creating further concerns for employees at the factories that would historically build only Audis in a chaotic era for the Volkswagen Group. That makes the platform share a potential cost-cutting opportunity, although it does not necessarily mean that the factory that last built the A8 would close without that large sedan production earmarked for the near future.Unfortunately for buyers hoping to get their hands on a new A8 soon, the report states that production plans would start "from 2030 at the earliest." The current A8 is set to end production some time next year, leaving a three-year gap at the top of Audi's lineup. The company plans to direct customers to its new flagship Q9 SUV in the meantime, but this plan to revive the sedan would eventually allow those full-sized four-door customers a chance to return.If You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State