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2017 Audi R8 Spyder V10 Goes Kinky Topless in New York

If there is one car that everyone knew how it would look, yet still expected to see it in the flesh at the 2016 New York Auto Show, it's the 2017 Audi R8 Spyder V10.
2017 Audi R8 Spyder V10 46 photos
Photo: Audi AG
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Audi jumped the gun a bit and decided to release the first official photos and specifications of its new “fastest open top model” before its public appearance in New York.

In the beginning, only the R8 V10 version will be available, with the V10 Plus to be launched later in 2016. This means that the new R8 Spyder is equipped with the 540 hp and 540 Nm (398.3 lb-ft) of torque version of the naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 that revs into the stratosphere.

“With its spontaneous throttle response, quick revving-up and inimitable sound, the 5.2 FSI naturally aspirated engine in the new Audi R8 Spyder delivers undiluted emotion,” Dr.-Ing. Stefan Knirsch, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development, bragged about the model. “Compared to the R8 Coupé*, the engine sound in the open high-performance sports car now delivers an even more intense experience.”

Paired as standard with the seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch transmission known from the R8 V10 Coupe, the Spyder can do the 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in just 3.6 seconds, onwards to a top speed of 318 km/h (197.6 mph).

As expected, the quattro all-wheel-drive system has been borrowed from the coupe as well. Newly developed for the second generation of the R8, the system uses an electro-hydraulically activated multi-plate clutch at the front axle. Depending on the driving conditions, up to 100 percent of the available engine torque can be sent to either the front or the rear axle.

The old-school cloth retractable roof can be opened and/or closed in just 20 seconds and up to a speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). The rear window can also act as a wind restrictor to reduce back draft when the top is down and it can be retracted and extended with the push of a button.

Thanks to the extended use of aluminum (79.6 percent of the R8 Spyder's weight) and carbon fiber parts in the Audi Space Frame body, the open top R8 has a 1,612 kg (3,554 pound) dry weight, making it slightly lighter than the much faster Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabrio.

There are no words on pricing yet, but a $5,000 premium over the Audi R8 V10 Coupe is to be expected while deliveries should commence later this year.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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