The all new second generation 2016 Audi R8 was shown off at the Geneva auto extravaganza, and will go on sale here next year. The two model line up consists of the V10, and the V10 Plus. Yep, no V8 this time around, given a lack of demand for the old 4.2-litre model apparently.
The two-seater sportscar in Plus trim comes with a 448kW 5.2-litre V10 engine and a new 4WD system, giving it acceleration identical to its sister car, the Lambo Huracan (0-100 in 3.2sec). Top speed is around 330km/h. While evolutionary in a design sense, Audi’s technical head, Ulrich Hackenberg, says that every component has been either upgraded or redesigned (primarily for lightness). It may resemble the original R8 but few panels are shared, including the new single-frame grille, LED headlamps, and side-blades. The body is entirely made of aluminium and there’s a new 200kg spaceframe structure underpinning the R8. Static rigidity improves by 40 per cent. At 4442mm long, the new R8 is the same length as the old one, but is 39mm wider (1944mm) and 9mm lower (1241mm). The R8 V10 Plus makes wide use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and weighs 66kg less (1454kg) than the R8 V10.
The suspension consists of double wishbones front and rear, with conventional dampers, though active magneto-rheological damping is an option. The base 5.2-litre V10 (397kW/540Nm) produced in Hungary has been heavily revised, with a new cylinder on-demand system reducing fuel use by 10 per cent, and it is hooked up to a default seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The 4WD system substitutes the viscous centre coupling for a electro-mechanical multiplate clutch system, capable of pushing 100 per cent of drive north or south.
An R8 e-tron model will join the other two in some markets, and an R8 Spyder is in the pipeline.
