New R8 unveiled

New model designations, more power and distinctive new styling are hallmarks of the new Audi R8 range which was unveiled overnight. Hot on the heels of the new R8 LMS GT3 unveilieng, the new R8 range will be available from next year as both a Coupé and Spyder. The R8 has received a significant boost in power across the range, as well as even sharper handling and a number of new colour and exterior packages allowing owners to further tailor the supercar to their own taste and style.

Still handmade at Audi’s Böllinger Höfen site near Neckarsulm, the new R8 continues to share up to half of its components with its racing sibling, and its credentials are impressive by any standard, especially for a road going car.

The look is decidedly sharper and more aggressive, the Singleframe grille even wider which in turn accentuates the width of the car. Thick bars divide up the large air inlets, and flat slits in the bonnet are nods to the mighty Audi Ur-quattro from the brand’s rich past. The new front splitter is also now wider, and the diffuser has been drawn upward, making the R8 seem even more imposing and planted.

With the new look comes all new model designations to identify the different members of the R8 range. The R8 Coupé and Spyder V10 will be known as the R8 Coupé and Spyder V10 quattro models, while the Audi R8 Coupé and Spyder V10 plus models are now called Audi R8 Coupé Spyder V10 performance quattro. 

“It’s now even more powerful and faster,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Technical Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH.

“Motorsport is part of our DNA. With around 50 percent shared parts with the R8 LMS GT3, no other automobile is so close to motor racing as the R8.”

And the increases in power certainly bear him out. The R8 continues with a normally aspirated V10 engine, but power for the 397kW unit has been upped to 419kW and an extra 10Nm of torque has been added to give 550Nm at 6500rpm. This translates to a 0 to 100km/h sprint of just 3.4 seconds for the Coupé, while the Spyder requires just 0.1 second more. The Coupé boasts a top speed of 324km/h while its soft-top sibling tops out at 322km/h.

The 5.2 FSI in the Audi R8 V10 performance quattro has also been massaged north, now topping  456kW from the previous 449 kW, while torque is up from 560Nm to 580Nm thanks largely to an optimised valve train with components made of titanium. This translates to a 3.1 second 0 to 100km/h time for the Coupé which is again, just a 0.1 seconds faster than the Spyder.

Handling and suspension are more than up to the new power, with modified suspension and the option of dynamic steering over the standard electromechanical power steering.

The ranks of the Audi drive select modes have been increased with the addition of dry, wet and snow programs added, allowing the driver to better adapt the vehicle’s responses even more precisely to the level of available grip. Braking too has been improved, with the enhanced Electronic Stabilisation Control (ESC), bringing the Audi R8 V10 performance to a stop from 100km/h up to 1.5 metres sooner than before, while the stopping distance from 200km/h has been improved by up to five metres. 

The factory 19-inch wheels certainly help the stopping distance, and 20-inch five-spoke alloy wheels are available as an option. Brakes are standard steel ventilated discs which are finished in red, while ceramic brakes are also available, finished in grey or red.

Indeed there are any number of options when it comes to customising the new R8. Customers can choose from three exterior packages depending on the engine variant, adding various highlights to the front splitter, the side trims and the diffuser. Standard specification for the R8 V10 quattro is high-gloss black, while the top-of-the-line version R8 V10 performance quattro comes off the production line with a matte titanium look. The high-gloss carbon package is available for both engine variants, and as an option, the Audi rings and badges on the exterior are painted in high-gloss black, with the new metallic colours Kemora grey and Ascari blue now part of the paint range. 

The new look also extends to the Audi R8 interior with new colours like pastel silver with rock grey contrasting stitching, palomino brown with steel grey stitching, and black with utopia blue stitching. The R8 performance design package with leather/Alcantara upholstery, highlights in Mercato blue and carbon-fiber trim is also available for the top-of-the-line engine variants. But if these offerings still aren’t enough to satisfy, there’s always the Audi exclusive range which gives customers the opportunity to customise just about any details of their Audi R8, whether that be to the exterior or interior.

But regardless of the personalised treatment, the allure of the new R8 as has always been the case with this high-performance model, is in the driving experience. The new R8 range will go on sale in Europe from early next year, but at time of writing, no date had been set for the car’s arrival in Australia. But given the success of previous R8 and RS models Down Under, interest will be sky high amongst Australia’s high-performance aficionados when it arrives.