The first images of Audi’s new R8 supercar have been revealed ahead of the Geneva motor show next week.
Audi says the second-generation version of its mid-engined sports car has been newly developed from the ground up.
The range-topping R8 V10 plus model accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds and keeps going to its maximum speed of 205 mph. It therefore becomes the most powerful and fastest series-production Audi of all time.
A 7-speed S tronic transmission and a newly developed quattro drive system transmit the power to the road.
Underneath a wider, more taut looking body, a new aluminium and carbon-fibre chassis means the new R8 weighs up to 50 kilograms less than its predecessor, with the V10 plus managing a dry weight of 1,454 kilograms. The new design also offers greater rigidity, being 40 per cent stiffer than the outgoing model.
Racing-derived features include an aerodynamic underbody which integrates a long diffuser to boost downforce, as well as double wishbones made from aluminium to guide all four wheels.
The base R8 V10 model gets steel brake discs with 19-inch wheels fitted as standard, while on the V10 plus carbon-fibre ceramic discs are responsible for deceleration of the 20-inch wheels.
The new R8 will be produced at a new quattro production site that was specially built for the sports car – the “Böllinger Höfe” site in Heilbronn.
The car is expected to go on sale in the summer.
Source: Audi
