All posts tagged audi r8
Audi R8 Spyder drawings
An Audi R8 GT Spyder has been confirmed which should see a preview launch at the 24-hour Le Mans in June before an official debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The R8 GT open-top will have the same 5.2-litre V10 engine as the coupé, with 560 hp and Audi’s R-Tronic six-speed automated manual transmission. All-wheel drive could also make an appearance and it is expected that the first examples of the R8 GT Spyder will be ready for spring deliveries next year.
As with the R8 coupé, the Spyder should also have a production run of about 333 units and similar design will be used: carbonfibre bumpers, rear wing, carbon ceramic brakes, sports exhaust and lightweight materials. These R8 GT Spyder sketches are all we’ve got so far, but we guess this will be a looker when it debuts.
Audi Tech Day lightweight design: Audi A5 gets 408 hp on 1,400 kg
This video will go some way to explaining the Audi Quattro Concept’s use of lightweight materials on an eventual production version. As we said earlier today, the concept could get a limited production run as the Audi Quattro coupe, using CFRP and aluminium. For supercar and sports car manufacturers, lightweight design is the new trend in keeping performance up, but fuel consumption and emissions down.
There are some interesting safety aspects to do with using lighter weight materials that you can hear about in the video. It seems that with some materials absorbing energy more efficiently, lightweight structures don’t have to produce safety concerns. After some further talk about Audi’s research into composite materials, we get to see the cars using them.
There is an Audi R8 5.2 quattro prototype model which uses composite materials for the roof and floor. Those materials will go on the production model Audi R8 GT, which is 100 kg lighter thanks to the use of carbonfibre. There is also an Audi TTS coupe, weighing 1,390 kg in total (80 kg less than the current production model), and the Audi A5 we see in the video uses CFRP and aluminium to weigh just 1,400 kg. See them in video.
New Audi sports car to raise prices: competing with BMW and Mercedes
A new pricing and product development strategy at Audi could see competition among the big German manufacturers heat up as Audi earns its real luxury badge on its expanding sports car line-up. After the original Audi TT, recently we’ve seen the Audi sports range get a major boost with the introduction of the Audi R8 model and subsequent developments.
According to an interview with Stephan Reil, development chief in the Audi Quattro sports car division, a third sports car model could join the R8 and the TT. The new focus on these models is enabling Audi to increase prices across its range by raising brand appeal and participating in the premium segment.
The Audi R8 GT is the most expensive model for the company at 193,000 euros but these kinds of models mean Audi can raise prices right across its range, thereby competing on equal footing with brands like BMW and Mercedes - who it has always trailed in terms of pricing power. It will also appear in an initial limited edition run of 333 units, which Audi expects will sell out by the end of the year.
Continue reading: New Audi sports car to raise prices: competing with BMW and Mercedes
Mario Balotelli and the fate of the Audi R8
Will Italian football player Mario Balotelli take his hotted-up Audi R8 to Manchester City when he goes…? His R8 is known as one of the more tasteless tuning efforts by a football player but we doubt Balotelli cares. In fact the photo above shows him turning up to his high school exams in the blacked-out R8. When we think of celebrities and their cars, other things (more elegant and esteemable) come to mind which could mean one of two things - the celebrities of once upon a time are no longer, and the cars they drove are different. What is wrong with a sleek Aston Martin a la James Bond…? It shows that money will never really buy class.
Photo | Calcioblog.it
Audi R8 V10 Spyder new video
Here’s another video of the Audi R8 V10 Spyder, which first debuted at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The R8 V10 Spyder is equipped with a 5.2-litre engine, with 525 hp and 530 Nm of torque. This video (certainly more exciting than the first one we saw), shows the R8 Spyder in white, a colour we like more than the bronze originally presented, and has some great editing for some exciting driving.
Audi R4 based on E-Tron from Detroit
The Audi R4 will be based on the Audi E-Tron presented at the NAIAS Detroi Auto Show, and will be the next couple sports model placed between the TT and the R8 in the Audi line-up. That’s not to indicate, though, that it will be like the original E-Tron seen at the Frankfurt motor show, as it will have quite a different body shape rather than being a modified version of the R8.
The Audi R4 will be equipped with both four and six cylinder TFSI engines combined with electric motors. The batteries located directly behind the cabin should guarantee better weight distribution than the original E-Tron, but will still remain faithful to the technical philosophy of four electric motors per wheel.
According to reports from the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Audi could also extend the ‘E-Tron’ name to include a full range of electric vehicles, without differentiating among segments. This would follow the history of the ‘Quattro’ name in the 1980’s, and would create greater identity for this kid on the block.
Audi R8 V10 vs Nissan GTR
This video of the Audi R8 V10 vs the Nissan GTR is more than just a drag race between two supercars by a couple of guys who wanted to play. It shows that the hype of bigger and larger engines doesn’t necessarily pay off in terms of performance. And that sometimes, the Japanese will build a better car, for half the price. Still, with the Audi a very sexy car, and if you had the pay packet to match, we figure you’d probably be choosing this one.
Allan McNish presents the Audi R8 V10
Audi driver Allan McNish presents the Audi R8 V10, saying “it’s the best car Audi’s ever built” (then reflecting on that and saying that the best car Audi has ever built is, in fact, his R15 TDI but we’re unlikely ever to get the chance to drive one). Here, we get a close-up look and not only the perspective from a 24-hour Le Mans champion, but a person who understands what is involved in the daily driving of a sports car.
The R8 V10 has a 5.2-litre engine with 525 hp, which reaches 100 km/hr in just four seconds. But if you want to “toodle off down to the shops”, the Audi R8 V10 will do that for you, too. The video smells of too much PR (when does McNish actually show us how it drives) but as this is about as close as I’ll ever get to an R8 V10, I’ll still watch.
Audi R8 Spyder videos
Here are new videos of the Audi R8 Spyder, where you can hear the sound of the V10 engine (although we were expecting more dynamic videos, to be completely honest). In the video after the jump, you can get a look at how the roof mechanism works, and in third video is the R8 Spyder official trailer. Not to mention the excitement that’s missing from the first! Enjoy.
Audi R8 Spider hi-res pics and Frankfurt debut
The Audi R8 V10 Spider debuts in these pics from the Frankfurt Motor Show, with some impressive performance figures being presented. The engine is a 5.2-litre V10 with 525 hp and 530 Nm of torque. That’s a lot of wind in your hair from the spider.
The R8 Spider V10 has 0-100 acceleration of 4.1 seconds and, 0-200 km/hr is reached in 12.7 seconds. The top speed is about 313 km/hr. The side-blades have disappeared, as testified by the R8 Spider spy shots, and new carbon fibre body parts have been included.
The soft-top roof and its mechanism weighs only 30 kg, but the overall weight still tops 1,720 kg. The weight-power ration is still respectable though, with 3.3kg per horse power. The R8 spider comes with both manual and R-Tronic sequential automatic.
The roof mechanism takes 19 seconds to open and can function while the car is moving, up to 50 km/hr. The R8 Spider will be available in the first quarter of 2010 and on the German market, will cost about 156,400 euros. Check out the pics below from the Frankfurt debut.
Continue reading: Audi R8 Spider hi-res pics and Frankfurt debut
Audi E-Tron concept pics leaked
The Audi E-Tron supercar concept is to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week, and the gallery below shows E-Tron leaked pics. It will be very much a German party with the BMW EfficientDyanmics Concept and, of course, the SLS AMG Gullwing also on display.
While looking similar to an Audi R8, the E-Tron has some different features on the front, and the interior also showcases new technology in a driver-oriented experience with two console screens. Apart from these leaked pics, Audi has not released any information whatsoever, and it’s unknown even whether the e-Tron is a fully electric or hybrid coupe.
Either way it’s likely to be a competitor for both BMW and Mercedes and we only have to wait the coming days of the Frankfurt Show and all will be revealed. At least, that’s what we’re hoping.
Source | World Car Fans
Audi R8 Spider spy shots
These fantastic spy shots of the Audi R8 spider show the vehicle virtually without camouflage. Particularly impressive is a look at the rear of the R8 spider to see how the roof mechanism may work. We should the Audi R8 spider debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, to start on Monday.
Source | Spyshots.nl
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