Audi R8 V10 (42) 2010-

[Yeahone]

The 2010 Audi R8 V10 GT Quattro - History of a top-spec supercar from a premium brand

When Audi presented the Le Mans quattro Concept in 2003 the majority of the audience reacted enthusiastic, but also sceptical. A 2-door 2-seater coupe with aluminium-spaceframe body, carbon-fibre panels, featuring a twinturbocharged V10 with 610 horsepower output, transmissed over allwheeldrive to the road and weighing less than 1 and a half ton.
Besides impressing data the concept car showed a design by master Walter de Silva that couldn't be compared with anything on the existing on the automobile market.
The press was almost sure the desirable ride would never go into production but 4 years later Audi presented the R8 4.2 FSI quattro coupe. The name R8 was chosen because it was meant to represent the street-legal version of the several times 24h Le Mans winner car.
Sporting a high-reving V8 outputting 420 horsepower (known from the B7 RS 4) mounted longitudinal before the rearaxle, allwheeldrive quattro (60 percent rear) and a 6-speed manual or 6-speed sequential gearbox (R-tronic) the R8 roadcar came with a styling inspired from the Le Mans quattro concept and conquered the market for exclusive supercars.
The customers demanded more power but Audi was aware to poach in the territory of the closely related Lamborghini Gallardo.
2 years later they decided to launch the R8 5.2 FSI quattro a spec which included the V10 engine from the sister-model Gallardo. Lamborghini upgraded its coupe and Spyder called softtop to the LP 560-4 (560 horsepower maximum output and 4-wheeldrive) and the R8 V10 was now allowed to reach acceptable 525 horsepower.
In 2009 Audi presented the R8 Spyder with automatical retractable softtop and only available with the large 5.2 liter V10 engine.

Ingolstadt, May 1st, 2010
Audi finally unveiled the rumored R8 V10 GT marking the top-spec of the R8-range. The brandnew car is 100 kilograms lighter than a stock 5.2 FSI quattro (1.625 kg or 3,582.51 lbs) thanks to carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) bodypanels and the R8-typical sideblades, thinner sheet metal, a thinner windshield, lighter brakes and several modifications and cutouts to engine and interior. The reworked V10 outputs now 560 hp (412 kw) like in the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4. The reconfigured permanent allwheeldrive quattro now sends 85 percent of the torque to the rearwheels.

A fixed carbon-fibre rearwing which is the most striking visual feature saves 1.2 kg (2.65 lbs) compared to the retractable spoiler on all stock R8s. Additional flaps on and a spoilerlip under the frontfascia, caps on the restyled sidemirrors and a reardiffusor of the same material help to stabilize the R8 V10 GT quattro at high speeds.
Front ventilation louvers and license plate bezel with the wide slats consist of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. Instead of the gloss black on the stock R8 5.2 quattro these parts feature a finish in matte titan-grey. Head- and taillight housings are black, exclusive to the GT.
The rearfascia now has additional side vents and large round holes, filled by two-way exhaust-pipes. The complete car has a weight-distribution from 43:57 front/rear.

The R8 V10 GT quattro accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 3.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 320 km/h (198.84 mph).
The sprint from standstill to 200 km/h (124.27 mph) lasts only 10.8 seconds. Thanks to carbonfibre-stregthened ceramic brake discs with red allround the top-spec R8 delivers a decent deceleration, too. Lighter steel for the exhaustpipes helps to save weight and enhances the sound.

[Yeahone]

Some more

[Yeahone]

Official Audi webpage content features custom rims with 235/35 on front- and ultra-wide 305/30 high-performance sport tires on the rearaxle

[Ferrer]

In Spyder form.

[Ecnelis]

2012 Audi R8 V10

[Ecnelis]

2012 Audi R8 V10 #2

[Ecnelis]

2012 Audi R8 Spyder V10

[Ecnelis]

2012 Audi R8 Spyder V10 #2