Newswheel @ the Paris motor show: Audi R8 (UPDATED)
Newswheel staff :: 28 September 2006 :: Filed under Mid / rear engine sportscar, Audi, Audi R8, Europe & UK, Trade shows, US
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All-alloy Audi awesomeness
It’s a dead ringer for the Le Mans concept. It’s closely related to the Lamborghini Gallardo. And it’s powered by a V8 lump pinched from the RS4 saloon. In short, there’s nothing remotely surprising about it. But it’s still the no-contest star of the Paris show. Audi unsheathed the new R8 mid-engined sportster today and suffice to say the car is pure class from bumper to bumper…
The TT was the original concept-car-turned-production-reality. Now Audi’s done it again with the fabulous R8
Audi’s press release for the R8 isn’t exactly bursting with technical details. However, it does confirm the Audi Space Frame (ASF) aluminium construction and puts an end to speculation regarding the car’s powerplant. Step forward Audi’s 4.2-litre FSI mill in 420bhp complete with dry sump lubrication [does the RS4’s unit have dry sump lubrication? In our slightly web-starved Paris locale the truth escapes us – answers on a postcard…] and a peak torque output of 317lb/ft at 5,550rpm.
As for performance, we’re talking zero to 62mph in 4.6 clicks and a Vmax of around 187mph. The R8 is not, therefore, hobbled by an electronic speed nanny. Still, Audi has done a nice job of leaving just enough breathing space for Lambo’s entry-level Gallardo at the same time as ensuring the R8 delivers fairly monumental performance. Gearbox options include a six-speed manual and R-tronic sequential paddle-shifter. We’ll assume for now that the R-tronic is a dual-clutch device, but we’ll report back after we’ve swung past the Audi stand again and double-checked our data (Update: the paddle shifter is a tweaked version of the Gallardo’s E-Gear box - it’s officially not a dual-clutch item, more’s the pity). Oh, and suspension-wise, conventional shocks and springs are standard with Audi Magnetic Ride active dampers offered as an option.
18-inch rims are standard, 19s optional
Audi has not quoted a kerb weight, but a little reverse engineering from the 3.71kg-per-bhp power-to-weight figure reveals an all-in mass of 1,558kg. So, much of a muchness compared to the Porsche 911 Turbo and not at all shabby for an four-wheel drive mid-engined supercar capable of cracking 300kph.
However, those 1,500 kilos do serve to highlight our one reservation regarding the R8. As a brand-defining Audi flagship, omitting the obligatory Quattro all-wheel drivetrain was never an option. But it’s the one thing, on paper at least, that might prevent the R8 from being a devastatingly good drive. After all, however good the Quattro-equipped reality is, a rear-wheel drive model tipping the scales sans 100kg or so remains an even more enticing fantasy.
Inside and out, the R8 is an awfully well-executed effort
Whatever, there’s absolutely no doubting the R8’s killer looks. In the metal on Audi’s Paris show stand, it’s so perfectly proportioned and confidently understated it damn well hurts. There’s oodles of lovely detailing, utterly drool-worthy alloys and a just-so road stance complete with that near-miss wheel-to-arch relationship you don’t often see on factory-spec road cars. Big fans though we are of the Gallardo, it looks like a try hard by comparison. And the less said about Ferrari’s chintzy and gaudy F430 the better. Frankly, the R8 makes it look silly. In fact, though we look forward to debating the finer points of the R8’s road manners, the fact is, unless it drives like an absolute hound, it looks so good Audi will be beating customers off with an extremely shitty stick.
Prices and on sale dates for the R8 have yet to be announced, but something north of £60k and well south of the Gallardo’s £100k-plus sticker is a given.
Posted 14 January 2007, by uoiu
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