*NOW UPDATED WITH VIDEO. The new Audi R8 is nearly here, with V10 power and electric and racing versions to follow.
[Not a valid template]The Geneva Motor Show is almost upon us, and to get the excitement levels rising, Audi’s shown us what it’s bringing along – an all new R8.
The second generation supercar will its world premiere at the show, and customers will start receiving cars towards the end of the year. Power comes from a revised version of the current car’s mid-mounted 5.2-litre V10 with up to 602bhp. In its more powerful iteration, it’ll fly from standing to 100kph in 3.2 seconds – more than half a second faster than the current V10 model. Top speed is raised to 330kph.
Part of the reason for that improved performance is less weight – the new Audi R8 weighs up to 50kg less than its predecessor. The new, sharper body panels sit on an aluminium and carbonfibre-reinforced plastic space frame. It’s also wider by about four centimetres than the current car.
Two versions of the new R8 will be available from launch, one with 533bhp and the other – the R8 V10 Plus – with 602bhp. The former will hit 100kph in 3.5 seconds and top out at 323kph.
Cogshifting is done with a three-mode, seven-speed S tronic transmission and a revised quattro system that can sent up to 100 percent to available torque to either axle, ensuring traction is as many conditions as possible. There’s also a mechanical diff on the rear axle. Launch control is included for those that want to test out the 0-100kph times.
Inside, all the displays are digital, with many of the car’s controls on the steering wheel, F1 car-style. The seats have been redesigned, and more hardcore bucket seats are available as an option in the base R8 V10, or as standard in the V10 Plus.
The standard R8 V10 comes with 19-inch wheels covering steel brake discs, designed with a weight-saving wave pattern. In the R8 V10 Plus, customers will get upgraded carbon-ceramic stoppers.
This new R8 is the starting point for more versions. An new electric R8 e-tron is also on the way, with 456bhp and a whopping 678lb ft of torque, giving it a 0-100kph time of 3.9 seconds but a range of more than 450km – double that of the first R8 e-tron.
For race fans, a new R8 LMS is also in the works, based on the revised GT3 regulations that come into effect next year. The existing R8 LMS has proved popular with customer teams, winning more than 190 races and taking 23 championships around the world.
What do you think of the new Audi R8? Have your say in the comments section below.
