Audi R8
The new ultra-high performance Audi R8 combines the time-honoured hallmarks of the best of the classic sports cars with futuristic construction, transmission and suspension technologies, all underpinned by the steadfast reassurance of the quattro four-wheel-drive system.
Mounted longitudinally directly behind the cockpit of the comparatively lightweight, 1,560-kilogramme aluminium-bodied Audi sports car is a high-revving V8 petrol engine delivering 420 bhp, and contributing to an exceptional power-to-weight ratio of 269 bhp per tonne. Spinning freely to its 8,250 rpm limit, this acclaimed unit punches the R8 through the 62 mph barrier in just 4.6 seconds and, in the right conditions, can carry it on to a top speed of 187 mph – an unprecedented high for a road-going Audi.
Driving purists can choose a six-speed manual transmission to channel the 430 Nm of torque to the four driven wheels, but they may also be tempted by the racing-inspired R tronic sequential shift gearbox with joystick and paddle control, which uses ‘shift-by-wire’ technology to provide exceptionally rapid gear changes.
By mounting the potent eight-cylinder unit as close as possible to the centre of the new R8, in deference to racing legends such as the Le Mans-winning R8 sports prototype and Auto Union Type C Grand Prix car, Audi engineers have achieved near perfect 44 per cent front / 56 per cent rear weight distribution for optimum handling balance. Dry sump engine lubrication - another racing-derived element – also furthers this aim by enabling the V8 to be mounted as close to the road as possible to lower the centre of gravity.
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