Blast-off for R8 GT

By Tom Phillips

01st May 2010

	“GT can sprint from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds, and top speed of 199mph makes it the fastest Audi ever”

Meet the fastest, most expensive Audi ever!

This £142,000 limited-edition R8 is set to rival Lamborghini’s Gallardo Superleggera and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS when it arrives in the UK early next year.

We first broke news of the lightweight model, called the R8 GT, in Issue 1,106. It’s based on the V10 version of the stunning flagship, but thanks to revised engine software, power is up from 518bhp to 552bhp.

Torque also climbs 10Nm to 540Nm – identical to the Gallardo LP560-4, which shares the same engine.

All GTs feature a six-speed R tronic automated manual box, which has been uprated so that gearchanges now take less than one-tenth of a second.

Launch control enables the GT to sprint from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds – that’s three-tenths up on the standard model and only two-tenths down on the Superleggera. Its top speed of 199mph is fractionally short
of the Lambo’s 202mph, but makes it the fastest Audi ever.

Drive is to all four wheels, and power is distributed 15:85 front to rear, promising lively handling. The newcomer also benefits from a revised ESP system that allows more wheel slip before the traction control kicks in.

To complement the extra power, mechanical changes include manually adjustable suspension, lowering the car by up to 10mm. The front and rear wheels feature aggressive camber settings to improve
agility. Unique 19-inch wheels are standard, and wider rear tyres or track day rubber are options. The rims hide ceramic brakes with GT-branded red-painted calipers.

To set the car apart, and aid aerodynamics, Audi has fitted a carbon front splitter and a pair of carbon strakes on either side of the bumper. Full LED headlights are standard. At the side are new carbon wing mirrors and a matt finish for the carbon sideblades.

But the biggest changes are at the rear, where there’s a fixed wing, new carbon fibre-reinforced plastic bumper and a diffuser derived from Audi’s R8 LMS racing cars. Buyers will have four exterior colours to choose from: Samoa Orange, Suzuka Grey, Ice Silver and Phantom Black.

The GT weighs 100kg lessthan the standard car, at 1,525kg. Thinner windscreen glass, and polycarbonate instead of glass for the rear bulkhead screen, saves 9kg. A lightweight carpet shaves another 7.9kg, while the bucket seats shed a huge 31.5kg.

But the weight loss hasn’t made the GT a stripped-out racer. Climate control, sat-nav and a stereo are standard. A full leather interior is optional. There is a race package available, too, with bolt-in roll cage, battery kill switch and fire extinguisher.

Only 333 GTs will be built, 33 of which are earmarked for UK buyers, available from the middle of this month.