Audi R8 (road car)

''This article is about the road going sports car. For the race car used in Sportscar racing, see Audi R8 (race car)''. Audi R8 Manufacturer

quattro GmbH(a subsidiary of Audi AG)

Parent company

Volkswagen Group

Production 2007–present (4,289 built)

Assembly

Neckarsulm, Germany

Class

halo vehicle

Body style(s) 2-door coupé

Layout Mid-engine, quattro permanent four-wheel drive[2]

Engine(s)

4.2 L V8 FSI

Transmission(s)

6-speed manual or 6-speed single-clutch semi-automatic

Wheelbase

104.3 in (2649 mm)

Length

4431 mm (174.4 in)

Width

1904 mm (75 in)

Height

1249 mm (49.2 in)

Curb weight

1560 kg (3439 lb)

Related

Lamborghini Gallardo Audi Le Mans concept

The Audi R8 is a mid-engined sports car introduced by the German automaker Audi in 2007.

The first appearance of the car was in 2006, appearing at auto shows and events all over the world. The R8 is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform, as Audi has full ownership of subsidiary Lamborghini S.p.A..

Audi announced in 2005 that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car would be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car, appearing at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show and 2003 International Motor Show. The R8 was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006. There is some confusion with the name, which the car shares with the Le Mans winning R8 LMP. Originally, many thought the car would be called the R9 (as there is a gap in numbering left when Audi announced the R8's successor, the diesel-powered R10).

The R8 is used as a safety car in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters racing series.

Contents [hide] 1 Technical details 2 Production 3 Reviews 4 Future development 4.1 R8 Diesel 4.1.1 Specifications 4.2 V10 engine 5 Awards 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Technical details Specifications Top speed 301 km/h (187 mph) 0-60 mph (96 km/h) 4.0 seconds[3] 0-100 mph (160 km/h) 10.0 seconds[3] 1/4 mile (~400 m) 12.5 seconds @ 113.2 mph (182.2 km/h) Type V8 Displacement 4.2 L (4163 cc) Power 420 hp @ 7,800 rpm[3] Torque 317 ft·lbf (430 N·m) Lateral Acceleration (200 feet (61 m) skidpad) 1.01 g The Audi R8 is equipped with a 4.2 L FSI V8 engine developing 420 hp and 317 ft·lbf (430 N·m),[3] the same engine used in the B7 Audi RS4.

The transmission is either a manual gearbox with metal gate, or a "R-tronic" gearbox (single-clutch semi-automatic sequential manual). These options are the same as those available on the Lamborghini Gallardo. A double clutch gearbox (Direct-Shift Gearbox - DSG, now badged by Audi as "S-tronic") is not currently (as of January 2008) available.

The R8 has a dry weight of 1560 kg (3439 lb). Its suspension utilizes magneto rheological dampers.[4]

Audi R8As Audi AG owns Lamborghini (Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.), 15% of the R8 is shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo, including the transmission and chassis.[citation needed] The R8 is made distinct by its exterior styling, cabin, engine, and pricing.

Safety features include ABS, front dual-stage airbags, ESC, and side-impact airbags.[5]

The Audi R8 also features an optional Bang & Olufsen sound system,[6] and "Audi Ceramic" Carbon-Ceramic composite brakes with monobloc alloy Brembo calipers on all four wheels.

[edit] Production The engine of an R8In the production of the Audi R8, 70 workers fit 5000 unique parts by hand - the factory produces 15 cars a day. It has also been credited as the only car in the world to undergo a CT Scan.[citation needed] Ninety-five lasers inspect the entire car in 5 seconds, to ensure that over 220 measurements are within 0.1 mm (0.004 in) of the programmed plans.[7] The 2-seat coupé is already available in Europe, and will be made available to the USA in the summer of 2008. In addition, an open-top roadster, Porsche Carrera GT-like model is rumored to follow in 2009.[citation needed]

[edit] Reviews Many publications were hailing it as the first car to truly be able to beat the Porsche 911 — considered by many to be one of the best sports cars ever made, and the leader in its class.[citation needed] Initial comparison tests have proven quite positive in this respect; Evo Magazine listed it as a "supercar",[8] compared the R8 to the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and BMW M6 and after praising the R8's "amazing stability, traction and grip, unparalleled steering accuracy and bite, (and) its uncannily flat and disturbance-free ride", claimed that as a result of "the sublime effortlessness of it all", the Audi is a better supercar. The article concluded that "Audi humbles Porsche. A new dawn starts today".[9]

Other publications have also written similar reviews of the Audi beating the Porsche in comparison tests.[2][10] The Porsche Carrera 4S, however, costs about $20,000 less (U.S.).[11][12] The $40,000 cheaper but more powerful and practical Nissan GT-R outperformed the R8 in a CAR Magazine comparison test; nevertheless, the article lauded the Audi's "agility and lightness of touch," declaring it "absolutely, utterly amazing to drive".[13]

Top Gear compared the two, and remarked that the R8 was "simultaneously less impressive and yet somehow more involving". On the R8 they wrote that "it rewards driver input", calling it "fantastic in a way that will appeal more to true car enthusiasts".[14]

On Bedford Autodrome, tested by Evo Magazine, the R8 was faster than the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Koenigsegg CCX.[citation needed]

[edit] Future development

[edit] R8 Diesel The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans,[15] a 6.0 L, 500 PS (493 hp/368 kW), 1,000 N·m (738 ft·lbf) V12 TDI diesel engined concept,[16] was presented at the 2008 North American International Auto Show on 13 January,[17] and the Geneva Motor Show in March.

[edit] Specifications The R8 TDI Le Mans produces 500 PS (493 hp/368 kW) and 1,000 N·m (738 ft·lbf) of torque. It uses Audi's quattro permanent four-wheel drive system, and is mid-engined. It has a six-speed manual gearbox. It goes from 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds, and its top speed is 202 mph (325 km/h).[citation needed]

The R8 TDI Le Mans has modified suspension settings and brakes, to cope with the added power and weight (300 kg (661.4 lb)) as a result of replacing the standard V8 engine with the V12 TDI. The V12 TDI requires more cooling than the standard R8, hence the NACA duct in the roof to feed additional air in to the engine. The vents on the front and back of the car have also been increased by 20% in size. The headlights are all-LED. For its appearance at the Detroit Motor Show, Audi fitted 20-inch alloy wheels. The rear bulkhead has been moved forward in order to accommodate the V12, meaning it loses the space behind the rear seats usually found on the standard R8.

[edit] V10 engine A V10 engined version is also planned for 2009, but was put on hold in December 2007.[citation needed] This version of the R8 was initially going to have the same engine as the RS6, a 5.2 litre V10 engine. It was thought initially that this version of the engine, which produces 580 PS (572 hp/427 kW), was going to be fitted. However, the twin-turbo system overheated, and one prototype was destroyed at the Nürburgring.[18] It was initially expected that the production version of the high-power R8 would have a new V10 engine developed from the V8 engine that powers the RS4 and the R8. However, a different approach using the V10 of the Gallardo is currently in the final design stages, so much so that the car has now been signed off for production, and will appear during the second quarter of 2009.[19]

An R8 parked [edit] Awards The R8 was awarded Best Handling Car and Fastest Car In The World of 2007 by Autocar magazine. It was awarded SportsCar of the year by German magazine Autobild. Playboy Magazine awarded it Car of The Year for 2008. The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) named the R8 Canadian Car of the Year, and, in addition, awarded it Best Prestige Car and Most Coveted Car of 2008. Top Gear Magazine named the Audi R8 the 2007 Car of the Year. Automobile Magazine awarded the R8 the 2008 Automobile of the Year The Audi R8 was named 2008 "MSN Car of the Year", with 42% of the votes, beating the Ferrari 430 into 2nd with 13%, and the BMW M3 into 3rd with 11%.[20] The JB car pages awarded the Audi R8 its maximum rating of 5 stars.[21] In the 2008 World Car of the Year awards, the R8 was awarded World Performance Car of the Year and World Design Car of the Year. European Car Magazine rated the R8 as Car of the Year