- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr
German brother of the Italian ‘bulls’
The Audi R8 is a mid-engine four-wheel drive sports car manufactured by Audi (Germany) since 2007. It was unveiled at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. There are convertible, roadster and coupe body versions.
Its spectacular design attracted many filmmakers. Thus, Marvel chose to show the powerful R8 in The Wolverine (2013) and in all three parts of The Iron Man, which featured three different modifications of the model. Moreover, all three parts of Taken trilogy with Liam Neeson feature the Audi R8 Spyder. Another Audi R8 Spyder in the iconic gray color played a significant role in Fifty Shades of Gray (2015). The car also appeared in the Date Night comedy melodrama starring Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Mark Wahlberg.
Six-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx described the R8 as the best handling road car available. The Audi R8 has received many awards. For example, it won two awards at the World Car of the Year 2008, for its unsurpassed dynamics and stunning design. It was named Sports Car of the Year at the New York Auto Show. The R8 V10 won the 2010 World Performance car award. At the Essen International Motor Show, it became the Sports Car of the Year 2011.
The first generation
It was produced from 2006 to 2015. The first R8 was based on the Audi Space Frame technology (aluminum body, reduced weight). The basic version was equipped with a 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 FSI engine with 420 hp. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h occurred in 4.6 seconds. For safety reasons, the maximum speed was electronically limited to 301 km/h. Later, the range started including an open version called the Spyder, which was equipped with a 428-horsepower engine. The R8 V10 modification came with a 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 engine producing 525 hp. The Audi R8 with any engine was equipped with a 6-speed manual or automatic Audi R Tronic transmission with a driving gear borrowed from the Lamborghini Gallardo. In addition, the R8 had an all-wheel drive system and a lightweight aluminum alloy body. The interior of the first R8 was decorated with decorative inserts made of carbon fiber and aluminum. The equipment included a Bang & Olufsen sound system with 12 speakers, which provided great sound.
The Audi R8 is the best handling road car available.
The car was designed by the Italian car designer Walter de Silva (Chief Designer of Alfa Romeo, then the Chief Designer of the Audi Group, which also included the Seat and Lamborghini brands). The Italian school of design is about the style, while the German school, of which Audi is a prominent representative, primarily focuses on the bold engineering solutions and advanced technologies. In practice, De Silva had to learn to combine the traditions of the Italian and German schools, which in the end he did well with the R8.
So, the R8 became, albeit a distant, but ‘relative’ of the famous Italian bulls, Lamborghini. The tradition of naming the Lamborghini sports cars after the bulls began in 1966 with Ferruccio Lamborghin, who visited the Don Eduardo Miura Fernandez ranch. Miura was a breed of very large and ferocious bulls, real winners. So the idea arose to assign the names of the famous fighting bulls to the Lambo models.
The second generation
Presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2015, this generation has been produced to the present day (as of 2021), with the restyling taking place in 2018. The new Audi R8 is very different from the previous one: it is based on the new Audi SpaceFrame and features an absolutely new interior. The second generation is based on the Modular Sports System platform, and the Lamborghini Huracan is also built on it. Now the R8 can rightfully be considered a close relative of the Italian bulls. The manual transmission has been replaced by the S tronic transmission, and the manufacturer also stopped making the basic V8 trim levels.
The company launched the mass production of the R8 e-tron electric car, as well as versions equipped with V10 engines (for 540 hp and V10 Plus for 610 hp). The rear wheel drive R8 RWS (Rear Wheel Series) was produced in a batch of only 999 units. In 2016, a V10-powered Spyder convertible appeared. The high-performance V10 plus Spyder came out in mid-2017.
2018 restyling
In 2018, the Audi R8 was restyled, acquiring redesigned exterior and more advanced equipment. More aggressive styling was borrowed from the famous Audi models. Some aerodynamic features, such as the front splitter, are shared with the Lamborghini Huracan. The restyled model has significantly improved performance over its predecessor: the base R8 received a power increase from 532 to 562 hp, while the more expensive R8 Performance (previously R8 Plus) still has an output of 602 hp.
