Audi’s Second-Gen R8 Lighter, Faster, More Fuel-Efficient
The super coupe’s V-10 now incorporates cylinder deactivation and both direct and indirect injection, features that help boost fuel-economy some 10%. The car has the ability to go fast too, hitting 62 mph from a standstill in as little as 3.2 seconds.
Audi’s second-generation R8, which breaks cover at next week’s Geneva Auto Show, is lighter-weight, more powerful and includes a new quattro all-wheel-drive system.
Re-engineered from the ground up, the new super coupe will go on sale in Europe this summer priced at €165,000 ($208,000) for the base model and €187,400 ($236,600) for the higher-powered V10 Plus trim.
Two mid-mounted V-10s will be offered – both fast. The base 5.2L FSI engine delivers 540 hp and 398 lb.-ft. (540 Nm) of torque. It is capable of 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration in just 3.5 seconds.
The top-end V10 Plus engine creates 610 hp and 413 lb.-ft. (560 Nm) of torque and knocks three-tenths of a second off a 0-62 mph sprint. Top speed is 205 mph (330 km/h).
The R8’s engines drive the wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, with the revamped quattro system allowing up to 100% of the torque to be shifted to the front axle.
Audi says the V-10 now combines indirect injection with direct injection, increasing output while lowering fuel consumption. It also incorporates cylinder deactivation, which shuts down one of the engine’s two cylinder banks when not needed. These changes, combined with the addition of stop/start technology, have helped improve fuel economy 10%, the automaker says.
Weight reduction also is a contributor to the car’s better performance. The new model, built on the aluminum- and carbon-fiber-intensive Audi Space Frame architecture, tips the scales at up to 110 lbs. (50 kg) less than the outgoing model, with a dry weight of 3,206 lbs. (1,454 kg).
The most notable exterior change for the new-gen R8 is the switch to LED headlamps with laser highbeams and dynamic turn signals both front and rear. Overall dimensions are largely unchanged, except width, which grows 1.6 ins. (40 mm).
Inside the R8s gauges have gone digital, and controls include new steering-wheel-mounted switches and Audi’s MMI touch system.
Also in the lineup is the R8 e-tron that adds electric motors to increases combined torque to 679 lb.-ft. (920 Nm) and boasts an electrical range of 280 miles (450 km), more than double the first-gen model. An LMS race edition developed to GT3 regulations will round out the product lineup, but won’t arrive until 2016.
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