All-new Audi R8 heads for Geneva
No model bearing the four rings is closer to motorsport, none is more striking and more dynamic: at the Geneva Motor Show, Audi will present the second generation of its high-performance R8 sports car. The mid-mounted V10 and newly developed quattro all-wheel-drive system ensure breathtaking performance, especially in the top-of-the-range version with 610PS, which not only powers to 62mph from rest more rapidly than any series production Audi in history but is also the first to be capable of officially pushing beyond 200mph.
The R8 has been newly developed from the ground up – it is more taut, more striking and more focused both on the race track and on the road. Key contributions to the marked improvements over its critically acclaimed predecessor are made by the high-revving mid-mounted engine with significantly enhanced performance, the architecture with its even greater emphasis on lightweight construction principles and the advanced chassis with quattro drive system and fully variable torque control.
“Motorsport is in Audi’s genes, it has always been a permanent feature of our brand’s character,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Technical Development at Audi. “With the new Audi R8, our engineers are bringing accumulated racing expertise from the race track onto the road. No other model of ours evokes more dynamic emotion. The new R8 V10 plus is therefore the most powerful and fastest series-production Audi of all time.” Thanks to the close cooperation between racing engineers, racing drivers and developers, the Audi R8 has seen a clear performance increase – this benefits both the series production car and the R8 LMS developed on the basis of this.
The engines: 10 cylinders in two versions
The 5.2-litre FSI engine at the heart of the new R8 is available in two versions: one with 540 PS and another producing 610 PS. The range-topping model accelerates in a mere 3.2 seconds from rest to 62 mph and keeps going to its maximum speed of 205 mph. The sound of the naturally aspirated V10 engine, whose maximum torque is available at 6,500 rpm, has become even fuller and sharper.
A seven-speed S tronic transmission and a newly developed quattro drive system transmit the power to the road. The distribution of the drive torque is highly adaptable to prevailing driving conditions – in extreme cases, 100 percent of the torque can be transmitted to the front or rear axle. The new performance mode in the Audi drive select dynamic handling system enables adaptation of the most important ride dynamics parameters to the friction coefficient of the road.
Lightweight construction: only 1,454 kg dry weight
The dynamic spearhead of the range – the R8 V10 plus - has a dry weight of 1,454 kilograms. Despite considerable extra equipment and greater rigidity, the new Audi R8 weighs up to 50 kilograms less than its predecessor.
The multimaterial Audi Space Frame (ASF) ensures low weight and optimum axle load distribution. The combination of aluminium and carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) in the Audi Space Frame opens up new dimensions with regard to weight, rigidity and crash behaviour. The aerodynamic underbody, which integrates a long diffuser, boosts downforce. The chassis, too, with its double wishbone suspension demonstrates how close the new Audi R8 is to motorsport.
Design: flat, wide, muscular
The design reflects the powerful character of the R8. A visual distinguishing feature which also provides enhanced safety comes in the form of the all-LED headlights or, for an extended field of vision and more brightness, with the laser spot for the high beam – complemented by dynamic turn signals with their scrolling function in the intended turn direction at the front. Dynamic turn signals are standard at the rear.
In the new Audi virtual cockpit, the displays are digital. The most important controls are grouped together in button clusters on the steering wheel, also known as satellites. In the interior, the driver has the impression of sitting in a racing car. The air conditioning controls emphasise the simplicity of the control panel with its floating effect. MMI navigation plus with MMI touch is standard.
New factory for quattro GmbH: production at the “Böllinger Höfe” site
The new Audi R8 is produced at a new quattro GmbH production site that was specially built for the sports car – the “Böllinger Höfe” site in Heilbronn. An elaborate manufacturing technique ensures that Audi-typical quality is delivered.
Specialists: the Audi R8 e-tron and Audi R8 LMS
The second generation of the Audi R8 forms the basis for more models. The latest evolutionary version of the electrically-powered high-performance R8 e-tron sports car achieves a performance figure of 462 PS and 920 Nm (678.6 lb-ft) of torque. It sprints from a standstill to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds. Thanks to new battery cells, the range could be more than doubled compared to the first version of this technological wonder – it now exceeds 280 miles.
The new Audi R8 LMS race car was developed based on the new GT3 regulations due to come into effect worldwide from 2016. This year it will already be put through its paces at the factory. Despite massive performance increases, around 50 percent of its components are the same as the series-production car.
