Thursday 6th April 2006

Audi R8 spy-shots at the 'Ring

Exclusive pics of Le Mans quattro

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A test version of Audi's Le Mans quattro-inspired car, the R8, has been circulating the 'Ring -- as PistonHeads' exclusive spy shots by PH's top spy-shotter Sebastian Geisler show.

Audi unveiled the concept in 2003, and confirmed last November that it would be produced. To be called the R8 -- the same as the incredibly successful Le Mans racing car -- the car starts production towards the end of 2006, and is to appear in showrooms in mid-2007.

A mid-engined two-seater, it'll be propelled by a five-litre V10 bi-turbo engine with FSI direct fuel injection, developing 610bhp at 6,800 rpm and 553lb-ft of torque availble from as low as 1,750rpm. Performance is likely to be in the region of 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and to 125mph 10.8 seconds.

Audi's subsidiary quattro GmbH will build it using lightweight components at its Neckarsulm plant. Audi is relying on intelligent lightweight design for the R8, a core area of expertise at the plant; the Audis A2, A6 and A8 were all developed there using similar technology.

[GTRene]

The car looks even cool under disguise the connection Audi Lambo you can see yourself...using the Gallardo's wheels?
Its a TT for man...the Le man(s) R8 great name, hope the car is too and looking at the spy shots it does look that way, hope they keep it simple and ot Bugg vey type with lots of goodies that make it to heavy, thumbs up
GTRene

>> Edited by GTRene on Thursday 6th April 10:08

[martaay]

looks pretty wicked with the spots!

[ultimacz]

That is an awful design
Or maybe it is just that there is nearly no design at all... What a waste of opportunity.

But probably just German. It´s like with Porsche, all their cars look the same (can´t even se the 911 design anymore, it is SO boring meanwhile...).
This thing looks like a bigger TT - I suppose that it will sell well only because it is an Audi. Why don´t they leave the supercar business to Lamborghini?

[runnersp]

I quite like it. I wonder if Audi will follow it up with an R10 derv version. I sure hope not!!!

[hendry]

I still don't believe that it will have 610bhp and five litre engines. That is stomping into Lamborghini territory and quite unnecessary amounts of power for the price they are pitching it at.

More likely is the RS4 4.2 engine, perhaps the detuned V10 in use in the S6/S8.

[greig]

ultimacz said:

That is an awful design Or maybe it is just that there is nearly no design at all... What a waste of opportunity.

Im assuming that you meant to post that under the thread about the M15 and not the R8. Perhaps google the R8 and find some images of it not hidden under testing camo.

>> Edited by greig on Thursday 6th April 10:50

[dinkel]

hendry said:

That is stomping into Lamborghini territory and quite unnecessary

Murci basher in da house . . .

[identti]

I don't really like these ordiary car companies attempting to build supercars. Soon everyone will have one.
Also, I'm pretty sure Audi were building a car to 'take on' (and no doubt loose, as everyone else has done) the 911, and power was said to be about 380bhp, not the 600bhp quoted in the article. Otherwise, what would lamborghini be for?

[anonymous-user]

hendry said:

That is stomping into Lamborghini territory

so what? it doesnt have a lambo badge so how many lambo buyers would be tempted away? in the same way that skoda rs isnt stomping on vw golf nor golf gti on audi a3 even though the 'lesser' branded car is faster and cheaper. infact a high end audi that overlaps lambo would seem to be in keeping with VAG strategy.

identti said:

I don't really like these ordiary car companies attempting to build supercars.

LOL
thank god the execs at ford/dodge/mercedes/jaguar/porsche don't think the same as you !

edited to add if anyone can find a murci that makes even close to advertised bhp i'll eat the dyno sheets. at least 600 audi bhp will be 600bhp!

>> Edited by francisb on Thursday 6th April 11:23

[dinkel]

So what? An in-house non-Lambo-badged car passes Lambo left and right . . .

What does that look like: a Lambo is for posers? Holy feck, that would be a crude statement.

What's the strategy herr doktors?

[Marki]

It looks like a better looking version of the Veyron

[hendry]

My badly made point was that I can't see what offering a 610bhp supercar for £70K is going to achieve. Is Audi a brand that wants to be seen as making "budget supercars"? I don't believe so. It probably needs do no more than BMW has with the M6, which is 500bhp for £90K (ish). Why does Audi's halo model have to be so powerful and so cheap?

I just can't believe they will do 610bhp for £70K. And it is significantly more than £70K, say over £100K, then why would anyone want it over a Gallardo?

If anyone can throw any light on this I would be interested to learn.

[anonymous-user]

hendry said:

I just can't believe they will do 610bhp for £70K

twin turbo audi lump can be taken to 600bhp 'relatively' cheaply (compared to high displacement n/a lump like m5/6), my old 2.7tt s4 was 450bhp with 140,000 miles and counting... so maybe its possible

hendry said:

and [if] it is significantly more than £70K, say over £100K, then why would anyone want it over a Gallardo? If anyone can throw any light on this I would be interested to learn.

last weekend when a mates murcy pulled up alongside a gallardo an onlooker asked the gallardo driver why he had bought a lamborgini boxster... oooh people can be so mean

personally i think the r8 looks awesome (not these spy shots) and it will probably produce real bhp not lambo make beleive ones.

[britten_mark]

It's taken them a bloody long time to produce basically what everyone wanted them to do in 1991, the Quattro Spyder

[hendry]

I prefered this:



Even loved the name!

[kingb]

it really looks like it should be an audi

will prob seel very well to rappers if you add some bling wheels

[anniesdad]

"IF" it offers 610bhp for around £70K then Lee Noble should worry.....a lot. He's obviously hoping to increase his client base with the M15 by opening up other previously untouchable markets. This new Audi offering will surely capture some of the clients that Noble himself was hoping to attract. I for one hope that the M15 is a spectacular success and for what it's worth, I would choose one over the R8, even if the final version looks like the pictures released recently.

Mr Noble could do no worse than to offer his M15 to some of the Chelsea/Man U players at a reasonable discount and make sure the paps. spot them out and about.

[e_t_s]

I read an article in Car or Evo (can't remember it) where it said that the engine is going to be the V8 from the RS4.

The figures posted in the article are from the original Le Mans comcept (check Gran Turismo 4), of course Audi isn't going to be doing a car with Carrera GT performance for less than a fourth of the price...

Audi doesn't make cars with crappy interiors and no luxury equipment.

So yeah, another 911-contestant. Hope it's going to look like the Le Mans concept, that was one good looking car. Better looking than the M15 at least!

[ultimacz]

greig said:

ultimacz said: That is an awful design Or maybe it is just that there is nearly no design at all... What a waste of opportunity. Im assuming that you meant to post that under the thread about the M15 and not the R8. Perhaps google the R8 and find some images of it not hidden under testing camo. >> Edited by greig on Thursday 6th April 10:50

No, I mean the R8. The Quattro Spyder is not much better,either.

If it would only look like that:
(Avus Quattro 1991)

[mcgral]

According to the 4car website with the same spy photos:
"... the engines going to be version of the Lamborghini Gallardo's 5.0-litre V10, as in the S8, developing 450bhp; a 420bhp version of the RS4's V8 will also be offered."

I like the styling but I can't see it winning too many sales from the 911 or Aston.
I think it's going to be the same choice as choosing an Alfa Romeo without the reliability gremlins (stay with me!) i.e. a car for those who don't want to have the obvious choice but instead want something a bit different".

Unfortunately, having said that, for the money I'd rather say I had an Aston - it's aspirational!
When you say Audi, the man (or preferably woman!) in the pub instantly thinks of executive saloons (Le Mans and rally wins come up less regularly unless you're speaking to a car buff!).

I think Audi would do better by going the Mazda RX8 route (again, stay with me!) i.e. producing a better car than the competition for less money.
Leave the Lambo at the top of the tree and provide the us with a car to blow Porsche Boxter, Cayman and 911 owners to bits which doesn't require us to remortage our home or put our children down the mine!!!

>> Edited by mcgral on Thursday 6th April 12:40