Just incase anyone cannot see it
AUDI STEPS UP THE PACE WITH EVEN MORE EXTREME 560PS R8 GT
Exclusive new version of celebrated V10 sports car packs even more power to propel even less weight for breathtaking performance
· Limited to 33 UK-bound examples, the R8 GT opens for order in summer priced at £142,585 OTR – first deliveries in spring 2011
· Kerb weight reduced by 100kg to 1,525kg, output of V10 FSI engine boosted to 560PS and torque to 540Nm, giving an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 367PS per ton
· Available exclusively with R tronic automated manual transmission
· 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds, combined mpg 20.6
· Fastest ever road-going Audi with 199mph top speed
Performance is even more acutely of the essence in the new Audi R8 GT, a distillation of the celebrated R8 V10 formula into an even more concentrated and potent form. Through an engine upgrade to 560PS, and the use of even more intensively weight optimized alternatives to many body and mechanical components, the 100kg lighter R8 GT is able to deliver even more breathtaking pace and handling poise. A total of 33 examples of the most extreme road-going R8 to date will become available to order in the summer at an OTR price of £142,585.
The R8 GT benefits from the considerable expertise gained in paring back the weight and maximizing the performance potential of the R8 LMS GT3, the circuit car with which it draws obvious parallels, and which won 23 races in its first season and claimed three championships in 2009 and 2010.
Thanks to its largely hand built aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) body, weighing only 210 kilograms, and the lightweight aluminium panels joined to it with exceptional precision, the ‘standard’ R8 is already a flyweight by class standards, but by closely scrutinizing every element of the car Audi engineers have managed to whittle away a further 100kg, taking the kerb weight to 1,525kg.
Nine of these kilograms were lost through the use of thinner glass for the windscreen, and a strong but light polycarbonate for the bulkhead and the window in the rear hatch. Lighter sheet metal and additional cutouts shaved a further 2.6 kilograms from the aluminium ‘boot lid’ covering the 100 litre luggage compartment at the front, and at the rear the replacement of the speed activated rear spoiler with a fixed rear wing docked an additional 1.2 kilograms.
Use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the rear ‘bonnet’ has eliminated a further 6.6 kilograms, and a new CFRP rear bumper and CFRP sideblades also save 5.2 and 1.5 kilograms respectively. With its minimal weight and extremely high strength, CFRP is the ideal material for a high-performance sports car, and Audi has broad-based expertise in its use.
The technical components of the R8 GT have not been ignored either. One kilogram has been deducted from the brake system, four kilograms from the aluminium caps of the brake discs, 9.4 kilograms from the battery, 2.3 kilograms from the air intake module and 2.8 kilograms from the insulation of the engine compartment.
The interior also offered substantial weight-saving potential. Numerous details have been further refined, key among these being the fitting of lightweight carpeting which accounts for 7.9 kilograms and the installation of bucket seats with a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) chassis which cut 31.5 kilograms.
More power, less weight
Collectively the detail changes reduce the kerb weight of the R8 from 1,625kg to 1,525kg, and are combined with a 35PS boost to the output of the V10 FSI engine, taking it to 560PS and securing an exceptional power-to-weight ratio of 367PS per ton. With its distinctive red coloured cylinder head covers, the direct injection V10 petrol engine in the R8 GT delivers its 540Nm torque peak at 6,500rpm but can continue to rev purposefully through to 8,700rpm.
As a result, the super car can catapult from a standing start to 62mph in 3.6 seconds, from rest to 124mph in 10.8 seconds and, where conditions permit, on to 199mph – the highest top speed ever posted by a road-going Audi. A combined economy figure of 20.6mpg confirms that despite offering even more breathtaking performance the R8 GT also remains a viable proposition for more than just occasional use.
Gear changes in the R8 GT are handled by the R tronic sequential manual transmission without exception. Thanks to its electrohydraulic clutch and switching unit it shifts through each of its six gears within one tenth of a second at high load and engine speed, and it can operate in Normal, Sport and ‘manual’ modes.
The intense pace delivered via the R tronic transmission is used as gainfully as possible thanks to effective management by the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. Its central viscous coupling located at the front differential sends 15 percent of the power to the front axle and 85 percent to the rear axle during normal driving, perfectly complementing the R8 GT’s 43:57 percent weight distribution. The coupling sends as much as 30 percent of the power to the front wheels within milliseconds if necessary. A mechanical locking differential at the rear axle further improves traction. It provides up to 25 percent lockup when accelerating and up to 40 percent on the overrun.
Chassis even tauter and more precise
This configuration, combined with the mid-mounted engine’s positioning close to the vertical axis, helps the racing-inspired double wishbone suspension to deliver breathtaking lateral acceleration and lightning-fast reactions. The R8 GT intensifies these responses through hydraulic, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering that has an even more direct 16.3:1 ratio. A manually adjustable coilover suspension, which lowers the body by as much as 10 millimetres, is also standard, and higher front and rear wheel camber rates also help to boost agility even further.