AUDI R8 V10 PLUS
Price: On sale date: Max power: Max torque: Top speed: and there will also be RS Plus and special edition derivatives.
All of this reflects the fact that not only is the performance segment one of the few areas of the market that is increasing, but it shows that Audi is keen to grab a slice of the action that BMW and Mercedes have had mostly to themselves for many years.
With the establishment of Audi Sport, what better model is there to start things off than the new R8, which has now been launched in SA.
The new model is edgier than its predecessor, with more dynamic lines that give it an aggressive look without detract- ing from the elegant, everyday sports car appeal of the original. Gone are the large vertical side blades though, with Charl Human, product manager at Audi SA, saying that the designers wanted to allow more of a flow to the shoulder line down the side of the vehicle. Instead the blades are now split, one above and one below that design line. They are still a feature, but less so than that of the original.
The new R8 still features an Audi Space Frame, sharing 95% of it with the R8 LMS race car. However, it also now has more elements created from carbon fibre reinforced polymer, includ- ing behind the cabin and through the centre tunnel. No surprises there as fellow Volkswagen Group company Lamborghini has firmly established itself as a centre of excellence when it comes to carbon fibre materials and shares much of its expertise within the group.
Lambo and Audi also share engine technology, although this is only discussed in hushed tones. The V8 version of the R8 is no more, with only a V10 available in two states of tune. The regular R8 sports 397kW, 540Nm and boasts a claimed sprint time to 100km/h of 3.5 seconds. But Human says that this will not be the biggest seller — that accolade will go to the R8 Plus with its 449kW, 560Nm and sprint time of 3.2 seconds. The Plus also gets a carbon fibre fixed rear wing, carbon ceramic brakes and a price tag of R2.970m, R339,500 more than the regular version.
Both models get almost perfect 50:50 weight distribution, coupled to quattro all-wheel drive and, in a nod to efficiency,