The new Audi R8 V10 plus is the most powerful and fastest series-production Audi of all time
A high-revving mid-engine with superior performance, a consistently lightweight construction concept and an extremely dynamic chassis with quattro drive system and fully variable torque control – this is what makes the Audi R8 the sporty spearhead of Audi. The high-performance sports car has been newly developed from the ground up – it is more taut, more striking and more fascinating both on the race track and on the road.
Even faster, even more powerful, even more dynamic: The new Audi R8 is the brand’s sporty top model. The 5.2 FSI is available in two versions: one with 397 kW (540 hp) and another sporting 449 kW (610 hp).
The top version, the Audi R8 V10 plus – now the most powerful and fastest production Audi ever – has a power output of 610 hp, a top speed of 330 km/h (205.1 mph).
The sound of the freely aspirated V10 engine, whose maximum torque is available at 6,500 rpm, has become even fuller and sharper.
A 7-speed S tronic transmission and a newly developed quattro drive system transmit the power to the road. In both engine versions, power is transmitted to a rapid-shifting seven-speed S tronic transmission installed behind the engine. The S tronic has three automatic modes and can also be controlled manually. Shift commands are transmitted electronically (shift-by-wire). The launch control system manages full-throttle acceleration from a standing start.
Another function of the S tronic comes into play when the driver’s foot is removed from the accelerator pedal at speeds above 55 km/h (34.2 mph). In such cases, both clutches open and the car goes into coasting mode. This function saves a considerable amount of fuel, especially in everyday use by the customer.
The distribution of the drive torque adapts to the respective 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.
The mid-engine principle used for the Audi R8 is not only a classic concept in motorsport but also an important piece of Audi tradition. The powerful engines were located in front of the rear axle even in the Grand Prix race cars brought to the start line by Auto Union in the 1930s – a revolutionary step at the time.
In 2000, Audi won the 24-hour Le Mans endurance race with the LMP R8 prototype for the first time. By 2005, the car which provided the name for today’s series-production high-performance sports car had secured five overall victories at the Sarthe – the name chosen for the road version of the super sports car from Audi, R8, indicates the technological relationship between the two winners.
Close cooperation between race-car engineers, race drivers and developers has certainly paid off.
“The new Audi R8 will deliver exactly what customers expect from a high-performance sports car …This car brings our concentrated motorsport competence from the racetrack to the road” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development
The completely revised vehicle concept of the Audi sports car assures this. It features an even more powerful naturally aspirated V10 engine – mounted according to the mid-engine principle – that fascinates with its unique sound. The high-torque engine, a new type of lightweight design and an improved quattro drive system with fully accessible and variable torque control make the Audi R8 even more dynamic – off the racetrack as well.
Lightweight construction: only 1,454 kg (3,205.5 lb) dry weight
The top model Audi R8 V10 plus has a dry weight of 1,454 kilograms (3,205.5 lb). Despite a lot of extra equipment and greater rigidity, the new Audi R8 weighs up to 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) less than its predecessor.
The multimaterial Audi Space Frame (ASF) ensures low weight and optimum axle load distribution. The combination of aluminum and carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) in the Audi Space Frame opens up new dimensions with regard to weight, rigidity and crash behavior.
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 sporty character of the R8. A visual distinguishing feature which also provides enhanced safety comes in the form of the standard LED headlights. For an extended field of vision and more brightness, Audi offers the laser spot for the high beam as an option – complemented by the dynamic turn signals 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 race car. The air conditioning controls emphasize the simplicity of the control panel with its floating effect. MMI navigation plus with MMI touch is standard.
As standard, the new Audi R8 V10 has 19-inch wheels with size 245/35 tires at the front and 295/35 at the rear. Upon request, Audi is also offering 20-inch wheels for the first time in the R8. With this option, the tires are size 245/30 at the front and 305/30 at the rear. The steel brake disks have a weight-saving wave design and the calipers can be painted red upon request. In the R8 V10 plus, high-tech disks made from carbon fiber ceramic are responsible for deceleration of the 20-inch wheels (optional for the V10).
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 produced.
Advance sales of the new Audi R8 begin on May 13, 2015. The entry-level price for the Audi R8 V10 is 165,000 euros, and the top version, the Audi R8 V10 plus, sells for 187,400 euros.
The completely newly-developed Audi R8 can now be ordered in Europe and it will make its appearance on the streets in autum 2015.
