Power, Speed, Performance – the new high-performance Audi R8 sports car

From 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.2 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h (124.3 mph), 9.9 seconds and a topspeed of 330 km/h (205.1 mph). Naturally-aspirated V10 mid-engine with up to 449 kW (610 hp) of power responds instantly to throttle inputs. Aerodynamic concept of a race car: The new Audi R8* is the dynamic vanguard of Audi – no other car with the four rings is so close to car racing.

“Car racing has been a part of our Audi DNA for many decades,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Technical Development. “Audi stands for automotive dynamism, and this applies very much to our new high-performance R8 sports car. In all technical areas it is extremely close to being a race car. It is the most powerful, fastest and sharpest production Audi ever.”

The new R8 launches on the market this fall in two engine versions – as the R8 V10 plus with 449 kW (610 hp) it is the most powerful and fastest production Audi ever built. The 5.2‑liter V10 enables breathtaking performance, and its hissing, roaring sound is highly emotional. Yet fuel economy has been improved by up to 13 percent in the R8 model series compared to the previous model.

Fully variable torque distribution: the new quattro drive
In the powertrain, the lightning-quick shifts of the seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, an optimized mechanical differential lock and a new electro­hydraulically activated multi-plate clutch work together. The actively cooled all-wheel drive system can distribute torque freely between the axles. The intelligent dynamic control system for the quattro drive is incorporated into the Audi drive select dynamic handling system that offers four basic modes.

In each mode, the new high-performance sports car expresses a different character – from relaxed freeway cruiser to race car on the circuit track. In the top R8 V10 plus model, a performance leather steering wheel is standard equipment.

In its performance mode, it offers three additional modes: dry, wet and snow. They make handling even more precise and sharper, tuned to the friction coefficient of the specific road surface. The new technology is also available on the R8 V10, including the steering wheel that is used to select the special modes.

Dry weight: 1,454 kg (3,205.5 lb)
The new Audi R8 V10 plus has a dry weight of just 1,454 kg (3205.5 lb). This was primarily due to its newly conceptualized Audi Space Frame (ASF) in multimaterial construction – which consists of aluminum and CFRP parts. The ASF weighs just 200 kg (440.9 lb). The entire underbody has a smooth covering, like on a race car, and the air flow exits via a large diffuser. This increases downforce. At top speed, this amounts to 40 kg (88.2 lb) at the front axle and 100 kg (220.5 lb) at the rear axle. The large CFRP rear wing also plays an important role in attaining these top figures.

Exclusively for the driver: operating controls
Just like in a race car, the interior of the high-performance sports car focuses on the driver. The driver can read off all key information at a glance from the Audi virtual cockpit. The steering wheel, instrument cluster and road all line up along one central visual axis. Drivers can operate all important functions with the multifunction and satellite push-buttons without having to take their hands off the steering wheel or look away from the road.

The Audi virtual cockpit is user configurable, and it shows all displays in elaborate 3D graphics – if desired, with one large rev counter and auxiliary gages that show much more information, such as tire temperature and torque output. MMI navigation plus with MMI touch is standard equipment in the new R8. This high-end media center was designed to follow a simple operating logic.

Extreme lighting range: laser spot for the high beam headlight
The workmanship of the new R8 – which is handcrafted at a new plant near Neckarsulm – is superlative. Its range of optional technology components extends to the sound system from Bang & Olufsen and the Audi laser spot, which doubles the range of the high-beam light.

Sister models: Audi R8 LMS and Audi R8 e-tron
No other production car with the four rings shows as much affinity for the race track as the new R8. This is also proven by its sister models – the new GT3 race car, the Audi R8 LMS, and the purely electric high-performance sports car, the Audi R8 e-tron. For the first time, Audi developed all three versions simultaneously, in order to optimally exploit synergies. Both the new Audi R8 and its motorsport variant, the R8 LMS, have made significant performance gains, thanks to the close cooperation between race car engineers, motorsport specialists and developers. Just ten weeks after its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, the R8 LMS made its dazzling entrance on the 24‑hour racing scene, seizing overall victory on the Nürburgring. 

The equipment and data specified in this document refer to the model range offered in Germany. Subject to change without notice; errors and omissions excepted.