Speculation, allegedly official statements, photo leaks or test prototype spies have been multiplying around the second generation Audi R8 like mushrooms in recent months. Perhaps thanks to yesterday's leak of the official photo , the German car manufacturer decided to put an end to all the sensationalist articles and reports and officially revealed the new generation of the super sports car with all the essentials.
And we'll start nicely from the floor, namely the Audi Space Frame , which is made of aluminum and carbon reinforced plastics. Primarily thanks to it, the intergenerational weight has dropped by 50 kg, while at the same time the torsional rigidity of the body has increased by a significant 40 percent. The suspension of all wheels is provided by double trapezoids made of aluminum , the electromechanical power steering is also new. It can be replaced by an additional dynamic booster, adaptive magnetic shock absorbers or the Audi Drive Select system with Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual modes are available for an additional fee. The choice of individual modes, adjusting the response to pressing the gas, setting the engine, transmission and all-wheel drive system, is carried out by the driver. The button on the steering wheel can also be used to activate and control the special Performance mode , which adapts the chassis and ESP settings to the current weather conditions. Dimensionally, the R8 is almost unchanged, measuring 4.42 meters in length , 1.24 meters in height, 1.94 meters in width and 2.65 meters between the axles.
A total of three versions will be available from the start – the R8 and R8 V10 Plus with a 5.2 FSI forked ten-cylinder engine combining direct and indirect injection, or the R8 e-tron with an electric drive. The weaker R8 has a power of 540 hp and a torque of 540 Nm at 6500 rpm, the more powerful R8 V10 Plus even has 610 hp and 560 Nm at 6500 rpm. In both cases, power is sent via a seven-speed S tronic automatic to all wheels with a new electro-hydraulic multi-plate clutch on the front axle and a mechanical differential lock on the rear axle. The transmission itself has a launch control system and three different automatic modes and one manual mode, its specialty is the so-called "sailing" function , when the driver steps on the gas pedal at speeds above 55 km/h and both clutches open automatically. All-wheel drive sends all the power to the rear wheels as standard, but if the situation calls for it, the clutch can send all the power to the front axle within a few milliseconds.
In terms of dynamics, the classic R8 needs 3.5 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h and "pulls" a maximum of 320 km/h. The more powerful V10 Plus , with a dry weight of 1454 kg and standard Performance mode, is the fastest production Audi ever, accelerating to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and has a claimed top speed of 330 km/h. Of course, the press release also talks about economical operation, which, in addition to the stop/start system, also provides the function of switching off half of the cylinders . The consumption of the R8 is thus 11.8 l/100 km with emissions of 275 g CO2/km, the more powerful model claims 12.4 l/100 km with emissions of 289 g CO2/km.
The appearance, like the dimensions, is not that different from the outgoing generation. The single frame radiator grille is already known from smaller and less powerful models of the brand, on the other hand, so far only the R8 is reserved for additional laser lights with a range of up to 600 meters. LEDs are standard front and rear, with air intakes under the headlights at both ends. However, the one most typical for the R8 is still in front of the rear wheels. Coming back to the rear, the standard model here has a retractable spoiler , while the V10 Plus has a carbon-reinforced plastic spoiler firmly anchored. We would find many more differences between the two models on the bodywork, for example the front splitter or the rear diffuser the R8 only has for an extra charge. The footwear is also slightly different, as the V10 Plus gets 20-inch wheels with 245/30 front and 305/30 rear tires, behind carbon-ceramic disc brakes, while the R8 gets 19-inch wheels with 245/35 front and 295/35 rear tires , behind which the steel discs are hidden.
The interior is dominated by the 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit display, replacing the instrument panel, which is also the only display in the entire cabin. The output of the standard MMI navigation plus multimedia system with navigation, LTE Internet connection and wireless WiFi connection is also a virtual instrument panel. This made it possible to significantly simplify the center console, which is also turned towards the driver and contains only a few controls and ventilation outlets. The central tunnel between the seats with carbon decor contains a massive gear lever, an electronic parking brake and a combined controller for the already mentioned MMI system. The new shape has a multifunction steering wheel with gear shift paddles and a red engine start button . An interesting element is the newly developed seats with a light construction, which is standard on the V10 Plus version (the classic R8 has them as an extra). The upholstery can be full leather or a combination of leather and alcantara. Bang & Olufsen audio with a power of 500 W is available as an extra for both models. In order to finish the presentation of the internal combustion engine-powered R8, it is appropriate to mention the price – it starts at 165,000 euros (approx. 4.5 million crowns) for the classic R8, respectively at 187,400 euros (approx. 5.14 million crowns) for the R8 V10 Plus.
The electric version of the R8 e-tron , powered by two electric motors with a total output of 462 hp and a torque of an impressive 920 Nm, was also revealed without a price list. The "juice" for the electric motors is supplied by a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 92 kWh located in the central tunnel behind the seats, which leads to a range of 450 km (the predecessor had a range of 215 km with a battery capacity of 49 kWh). Thanks to the CCS charging system , allowing charging from two sources at the same time, the time required to fully recharge the battery is less than two hours. The dynamics are not bad when the e-tron accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 210 or 250 km/h. Compared to the internal combustion engine powered coupe, the electric car has a different design of wheels, bumpers and other minor modifications to the body which lead to a reduced drag coefficient of cx = 0.28.
The opposite of the green model is the racing R8 LMS , compliant with the rules of the FIA GT3 class for 2016. Although up to 50 percent of the parts are the same as those of the regular car, it powers approximately 585 horsepower from a 10-cylinder petrol engine through a six-speed transmission with rear-wheel paddles only. The reduction diet was also significant, reducing the weight of the coupe to 1225 kg. This value was achieved mainly thanks to body parts made of carbon-reinforced plastics (the most interesting are the parts made of this material in the rear deformation zone) and the spatial frame made of multi-material. At the same time, the torsional stiffness of the body increased by 39 percent. A first in the GT3 category is the opening safety roof , the Audi Protection Series PS1 seat is firmly attached to the chassis. The driver can find the ideal position behind the wheel thanks to the adjustable steering column. Audi will not hit the race track until next season, the first deliveries to the teams are scheduled for the end of this year.
Source: Audi
