Photo: Audi
Launched at the beginning of 2018 in limited numbers, the R8 V10 RWS comes back into focus with a different suffix. Audi calls the newcomer R8 V10 RWD, and yes, this is a series-production supercar with good ol’ rear-wheel drive.
It was somewhat expected of Audi to come up with this model given the existence of the Lamborghini Huracán in LP 580-2 flavor. The four-ringed automaker is also trying to attract new customers to the R8 family, bringing the price down to 144,000 euros for the coupe and 157,000 euros for the soft-top spyder.
Produced “largely by hand” at the Böllinger Höfe facility in Neckarsulm, the R8 V10 RWD will be introduced in the Old Continent at the beginning of 2020. Weight distribution is rated at 40 percent up front and the remaining 60 over the rear axle, and the fixed-head coupe tips the scales at 1,595 kgs (3,516 lbs).
That’s 65 kilograms (143 pounds) lighter than the quattro, and like all R8 versions, the aluminum Audi Space Frame is garnished with lots of carbon-fiber components to keep the weight low. The omission of the propeller shaft going to the front axle, multi-late clutches, and front-axle diff have also helped the diet.
Providing “a very special kind of driving pleasure,” the R8 V10 RWD is engineered to allow controlled drifting. Just enter Sport Mode and the rest is up to your driving skills and the car’s electronic nannies. 19- and 20-inch wheels are available, and Audi makes a business case for the larger of the two options because they improve the handling dynamics and deceleration under high loads.
Remember that we’ve mentioned the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese a few paragraphs before? The Huracán with rear-wheel drive packs 580 PS (573 horsepower) and 540 (398 pound-feet) of torque, so how much do you think the Audi musters from 5.2 liters of displacement and ten cylinders?
With great disappointment, the engineers weren’t allowed to tune the 5.2 FSI beyond 540 PS (533 horsepower) and 540 Nm (398 pound-feet) of torque. That’s probably because Lamborghini didn’t want Audi to overlap the Huracan, but in hindsight, 144,000 euros for a down-tuned engine isn’t exactly the kind of prestige you’d expect from a premium automaker with sporting credentials.
Produced “largely by hand” at the Böllinger Höfe facility in Neckarsulm, the R8 V10 RWD will be introduced in the Old Continent at the beginning of 2020. Weight distribution is rated at 40 percent up front and the remaining 60 over the rear axle, and the fixed-head coupe tips the scales at 1,595 kgs (3,516 lbs).
That’s 65 kilograms (143 pounds) lighter than the quattro, and like all R8 versions, the aluminum Audi Space Frame is garnished with lots of carbon-fiber components to keep the weight low. The omission of the propeller shaft going to the front axle, multi-late clutches, and front-axle diff have also helped the diet.
Providing “a very special kind of driving pleasure,” the R8 V10 RWD is engineered to allow controlled drifting. Just enter Sport Mode and the rest is up to your driving skills and the car’s electronic nannies. 19- and 20-inch wheels are available, and Audi makes a business case for the larger of the two options because they improve the handling dynamics and deceleration under high loads.
Remember that we’ve mentioned the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese a few paragraphs before? The Huracán with rear-wheel drive packs 580 PS (573 horsepower) and 540 (398 pound-feet) of torque, so how much do you think the Audi musters from 5.2 liters of displacement and ten cylinders?
With great disappointment, the engineers weren’t allowed to tune the 5.2 FSI beyond 540 PS (533 horsepower) and 540 Nm (398 pound-feet) of torque. That’s probably because Lamborghini didn’t want Audi to overlap the Huracan, but in hindsight, 144,000 euros for a down-tuned engine isn’t exactly the kind of prestige you’d expect from a premium automaker with sporting credentials.
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