Audi R8 (road car) : Top cars from Australian International Motor Show

Audi R8 (road car)

The Audi R8 is a mid-engined sports car released by the German automaker Audi in 2006. Audi announced in 2005 that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car would be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans, which was a concept car at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show. The R8 was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006.

The Audi R8 will be available in mid 2007 with a 4.2-litre V8 making 420 hp, as seen in the Audi RS4. Pricing for the 420 bhp model starts from 104,400 € or £77'000. A second, more powerful engine variant that uses the 520-hp, 5.2 litre V10 as seen in the Audi S8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo is rumored but not confirmed by Audi. The R8 has a dry weight of 1560 kg (3439 lbs). A 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) time of about 4.2 seconds is possible with a top speed of about 301 km/h (180 mph). Audi is currently in the process of developing a new 5.2-litre turbocharged V10 powerplant for the future Audi RS6 and there is a possibility that this engine will make its way into the R8, dependent on marketing decisions. Test mules of this vehicle are developing well in excess of 600 bhp with the turbocharged 5.2-litre. If this were to happen it is almost certain that this would create an RS8. There is some confusion with the name which the car shares with the Le Mans winning R8 LMP. Originally, many thought the car would be called the R9 (as there is a gap in numbering left when Audi announced the R8's successor, the diesel powered R10).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org