Audi R8 History
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The Audi R8 brings true supercar performance to a German automaker known more for its super sedans. Shod with a body that's an artful blend of German technophile cues, and fitted with racing shoes borrowed from fellow Volkswagen Group brand Lamborghini, the R8 has become an instant classic in its few short years on the scene--and a guest star in films like Iron Man 2 and TV shows like CSI: Miami.
The R8 broke cover at the 2006 Paris Auto Show, to immediate acclaim. Audi paired the first 2008 R8 with its own 4.2-liter, 420-horsepower V-8 mounted amidship, behind the driver and passenger. Elsewhere, Audi borrowed liberally from the Lambo parts bin to create the R8: the four-wheel-drive system is related to that in the Lamborghini Gallardo, as is the semi-automatic R-tronic gearbox that shifts for those unwilling to go with the enthusiast flow and the standard six-speed manual gearbox. Distinct from the Lambo exotics, the Audi R8 sports an aluminum space frame that gives it a cabin some five inches longer than the Gallardo--and as a result, it has much more interior space, not to mention a far more logical interior layout.
Even in base form, the R8 offers up stunning straight-line and cornering performance. A tenacious handler, the R8 also has excellent electronic power steering and grabby four-wheel brakes with anti-lock control. For safety there are also side-impact and curtain airbags, although neither crash-test organization in the U.S. has seen fit to put an R8 through that final exam. In all, TheCarConnection's editors praise the R8 most for its surprising practicality and its balanced handling, with reservations expressed for its tiny cargo area and obstructed rearward views.
The R8 carried into the 2009 model year mostly unchanged. However, starting in 2010, a string of new versions of the R8 are due to come around the bend. The first: a V-10-powered version that drills out 518 horsepower and dramatically drops acceleration figures below the 4-second mark. Next up in 2011, Audi plans a Spyder version of the R8, fitted with the V-10 engine and the R-tronic transmission, and priced well above the R8 V10 coupe's $150,000 sticker. A fabric roof will be power operated, and the R8 will lose the distinctive "sideblades" found on the coupe, in the transition.
Lastly, Audi says an R8 GT, with 200 pounds less curb weight and 560 hp, will rocket into existence in the 2012 model year. They estimate a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph--and only promise 333 copies to be sold worldwide, each one numbered on its shift knob.
Audi had planned a turbodiesel R8 V12 for production, but at last report, the 500-hp, 738-pound-feet monster had been shelved.
