Audi R8 (road car)

The Audi R8 is a sports car with a longitudinally mounted mid-engine, and uses Audi's 'trademark' quattro permanent four-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German automaker AUDI AG in 2006.

The car was exclusively designed, developed, and manufactured by AUDI AG's high performance private subsidiary company, quattro GmbH, and is similar to the Lamborghini Gallardo. The fundamental construction of the R8 is based on the "Audi Space Frame", and uses an aluminium monocoque which is built around space frame principles. The car is built by quattro GmbH in a newly renovated factory at Audi's 'aluminium site' at Neckarsulm in Germany.

In 2005, Audi announced that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car would be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car, appearing at the 2003 International Geneva Motor Show, and 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The R8 road car was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006. There was some confusion with the name, which the car shares with the 24 Hours of Le Mans winning R8 Le Mans Prototype (LMP).

The Audi R8 is used as a safety car in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and British Superbike Championship racing series.

PERFORMANCE

The Audi R8 was initially equipped with a 4.2 litre V8 internal combustion engine. Specific detail: it is an all-aluminium alloy 32-valve (four valves per cylinder) petrol engine,[3] utilising Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI),[3] and has a displacement of 4,163 cubic centimetres (254.0 cu in).[3] It develops a motive power output of 309 kilowatts (420 PS; 414 bhp) (Directive 80/1269/EEC),[3] and generates 430 newton metres (317 ft·lbf) of torque,[3] on 98 RON 'Super Unleaded' petrol. It is basically the same engine used in the Audi B7 RS4, but is modified to use dry sump lubrication system. This V8 is a highly reworked, high-revving variant from the existing 4.2 litre V8, but includes cylinder-direct fuel injection (Fuel Stratified Injection), and four valves per cylinder, instead of five (as used on the previous non-FSI variants). It also uses two chain-driven double overhead camshafts (DOHC) per cylinder bank, and utilises variable valve timing for both inlet and exhaust camshafts.

A new additional variant with a 5.2 litre Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) V10 engine was added on the 9th of December 2008, which produces 386 kilowatts (525 PS; 518 bhp) and 530 newton metres (391 ft·lbf).[3][4]

The transmission options are either a Lamborghini sourced six-speed manual gearbox with metal gate for the shift lever, or an Audi-developed "R tronic"[3] gearbox - which is a single-clutch semi-automatic electrohydraulic manual transmission, without a traditional clutch pedal.[6] These options are the same as those available on the Lamborghini Gallardo. A double clutch Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG), now badged by Audi as "S tronic", is not available (as of February 2010[update]).
AUDI AG unveiled the Audi R8 V10 on 9 December 2008. It uses a 5.2 litre FSI internal combustion engine, based on the unit in the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 (which in turn was based on the 5.2 FSI V10 as used in the Audi C6 S6 and Audi D3 S8), but is re-tuned to produce a power output of 386 kilowatts (525 PS; 518 bhp), and generate 530 newton metres (391 ft·lbf) of torque. Compared to the V8 variant, the R8 V10's performance numbers are enhanced. Audi states the new 0 to 100 kilometres per hour (0.0 to 62.1 mph) time as only 3.9 seconds, 60 to 124 miles per hour (97 to 200 km/h) in 8.1 seconds, and a top speed of 317 kilometres per hour (197.0 mph). Other changes to the V10 version of the R8 include some aesthetic differences - such as all-LED headlights (a world-first), interior enhancements such as Bang & Olufsen 465 watt sound system, and a more aggressive body styling, larger rear brakes and unique roadwheels.

It was initially thought that this version of the R8 was going to have the same engine as the C6 Audi RS6, a 5.0 litre V10 TFSI 'biturbo' engine, which produces 427 kilowatts (581 PS; 573 bhp). However, some components of the twin-turbo system overheated, and one prototype was destroyed by fire at the Nürburgring. This model was shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. This version of the R8 appears in the trailers and in the box art of the Xbox 360 racing game, Forza Motorsport 3.