Audi Reveals the R8: Le Mans Racer for the Street
The
Audi R8, into which Audi has incorporated the name and the genes of the
five-time Le Mans winner, is a spectacular sports car. Three years
after the unveiling of the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car, the
production version will be making its debut at the Paris Motor Show in
the guise of the new Audi R8 mid-engined sports model. It is a
fascinating driving machine and the sporty pinnacle of the Audi brand.
The mid-mounted 420 bhp V8 FSI engine, quattro permanent four-wheel
drive and Audi Space Frame aluminum body form the basis for truly
outstanding driving dynamics. The Audi R8 will be available to order
from 28 September 2006; first deliveries will be made in the first half
of 2007.
As the first Audi mid-engined sports car, the Audi R8
combines Audi's experience gained from numerous motorsport triumphs with
groundbreaking design and the acknowledged technological expertise of
the brand. This expertise has led to the slogan 'Vorsprung durch
Technik' becoming a byword for leading-edge technology both on the race
track and on the road.
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Audi Reveals the R8
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Audi Reveals the R8
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Audi Reveals the R8
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Audi R8's Exterior
Even at
first glance, the caliber of the Audi R8 is plain to see. The car sits
broad and squat on the road, the strongly accentuated rear end appearing
to flex its muscles like a sprinter ready for the off.
The
characteristic proportions of the vehicle are dictated by the location
of the engine behind the cockpit. This layout is a typical feature of
race cars. One of the most striking examples of this design - and as
such one of the legitimate antecedents of the Audi R8 - was, and still
is, the Auto Union Type C Grand Prix car. The central position of the
engine is above all a boon to driving dynamics, as it allows for a
weight distribution, as on the R8, of 44 percent to the front and 56
percent to the rear.
The car's body is highly compact in
appearance. The front end and the gently curved roof arc are drawn in a
sweeping line; a line which immediately marks the two-seater out as an
Audi.
The side view also reveals familiar contours. The dynamic
line above the wheel arches and the shoulder line interlink the front
end, side and rear, imbue the doors and the transition to the side air
vent with a strong presence, and even more emphatically highlight the
typical Audi rounded wheel housings accommodating the big wheels.
The
cabin of the Audi R8 is pushed far forward - a typical feature of a
mid-engined sports car, and as such a visual cue linking it to the race
car of the same name. Behind the cabin, positioned in front of the rear
axle, is the V8 FSI engine, a sculptured piece of engineering visible
both through the large, shield-shaped rear window and from inside the
car.
The full aluminum body is constructed in the Audi Space
Frame (ASF) design. Its perfect synthesis of minimal weight and maximum
rigidity provides the ideal foundation for optimum driving dynamics, as
well as delivering an outstanding power-to-weight ratio of just 8.18
pounds per bhp.
The Interior
The sporty interior is
dominated by a totally driver-oriented cockpit architecture,
integrating the driver between the dashboard and the high centre
console. The instrument panel above the console is angled slightly
towards the driver. The flat-bottomed steering wheel is a typical
feature of the sportiest Audi models, and also enables comfortable
sports car entry and exit.
Form follows function: this design
principle is implemented throughout the R8. Alongside the
driver-oriented architecture, also reflected in the styling of the side
window sills, the choice of materials also makes for a highly functional
look and feel. Looking around when in the driving seat makes one thing
clear: just like in the R8 race car, the styling and placement of all
the elements in the cockpit of this driving machine is focused on the
essentials. The center point of everything is the driver.
The Drivetrain
Turbine-like
power up to the highest rev ranges, a high maximum torque, all combined
with a fascinating sound, are the characteristics of a perfect sports
car engine. An engine that is fascinating both in terms of its enormous
power potential and its suitability for everyday use.
In the
high-revving 420 bhp eight-cylinder engine, the evolution of FSI petrol
direct injection technology has reached a new high. This technology has
also enjoyed many triumphs in the Audi R8 race car.
The figures
illustrate the outstanding potential of the eight-cylinder unit. At
7,800 rpm the 4.2-liter engine delivers 420 bhp of power output. Peak
torque is 317 lb-ft from 4,500 to 6,000 rpm. And no less than 90 per
cent of this maximum torque is maintained consistently throughout a wide
engine speed range from 3,500 all the way to 7,600 rpm. As a result of
these qualities, the eight-cylinder power unit provides maximum thrust
in virtually any driving situation.
The performance figures are
equally impressive: the R8 accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in
4.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 187 mph.
Two transmissions
are available: a manual 6-speed gearbox or optionally the Audi R tronic
sequential-shift gearbox. Here, too, the influence of the motorsport
world is clearly evident, with a joystick gear-shift on the centre
console and, most especially, the paddles mounted on the steering wheel,
which are a long-established ergonomic feature in motorsport. The best
illustration of this is once again the Le Mans winning Audi R8, which
also enables the driver to change gear on the steering wheel.
The
Audi R8 is being built on a small-lot production line in a specially
constructed new block at the Audi plant in Neckarsulm, Germany.