Almost 12 years ago, Audi unveiled the
2003 Le Mans Quattro concept, a supercar that signaled the brand's boundless ambition. Just three years later, it morphed into
the production R8. Built on a platform shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo, the R8 married everyday usability with supercar performance. Now Audi is launching the second-generation R8—and we were invited to come along for a ride in a development mule being flogged on the Ascari racetrack in Spain. We sat in on some hot laps driven by race-car driver Frank Stippler and were able to talk in-depth with engineers about the new model.
Evolution, Not Revolution
One thing is certain: Audi didn't reinvent the wheel. The new R8 stands on the thoroughly updated platform of the predecessor, now called MSS, or Modular Sports System. It is shared with the
Lamborghini Huracán, but it doesn't bear any similarity to the Porsche 911. At some point down the road, corporate step-siblings Porsche and Audi will have to sit down together and figure out how to get synergies out of their next generation of sports cars. As it sits, the new R8 was conceived before Porsche became part of the Volkswagen Group.
Thanks to a clever materials mix, the new R8 was able to shed more than 100 pounds compared with the current car, and its center of gravity is even lower than before. The R8 is also more powerful than ever. The slightly modified, naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 is a high-revving engine, with an 8850-rpm redline, and it cranks out a healthy 540 horsepower (up from 525). The V10 Plus model adds another 70 horsepower for a total of 610 (versus the previous 550). At its launch, the new R8 will have only the 10-cylinder—no V-8 will be offered initially.
With more power and less weight, the 2016 R8 V10 is, predictably, faster. The sprint from zero to 62 mph takes 3.5 seconds—or 3.2 seconds for the V10 Plus, according to Audi. Top speed is rated at an ungoverned 201 mph or 205 mph, depending on the model.
Out Goes the Gate
Despite the old-school powerplant, when it comes to the transmission, Audi turns its back on tradition. The wonderful manual transmission of its predecessor, with its metallic gated shifter, is gone. The new R8 comes only with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The console shifter looks futuristic, and shifting action is ultraquick, but we’re sorry to see the manual go.
As before, torque is transmitted to all four wheels via Audi’s Quattro four-wheel-drive setup. The default distribution is slightly rear-biased, although it is fully variable from 0 to 100 percent on each axle. Standard kit includes 19-inch wheels; 20-inch rolling stock is optional, as are carbon-ceramic brakes. Audi has fitted a water-cooled front differential and a passive limited-slip rear differential, as well as electromechanical power steering. The variable, magnetic-ride suspension again will be offered as an option. Audi’s Drive Select switch is on the steering wheel; Performance is the ultimate setting, and the stability control system can be switched off entirely.
Switched Blades
The styling of the new R8 is evolutionary, but it doesn't make its predecessor look dated. The R8’s new grille and the chiseled lines bring it closer to the rest of Audi's current portfolio. A defining visual element, the vertical blades behind the doors have been reinterpreted. They have been split into a smaller blade below the beltline as well as an extension behind the side windows. As before, the blades can be ordered in body color, in contrasting colors, or in carbon fiber. LED headlights are standard, and there are optional laser lights; the latter might even be offered in the U.S., if Audi wins its wrestling match with our government over its outdated lighting regulations.
Mirroring
the TT sports car’s leap forward, the R8 charges ahead with a futuristic interior that includes Audi's "virtual cockpit" with a large TFT monitor placed directly in front of the driver. Besides the Drive Select function, buttons on the steering wheel are devoted to the exhaust settings and the ignition.
Down the road, we expect to see the topless R8 Spyder return, as well as an entry-level model with either a V-8 or possibly a turbo V-6. There likely will be another version designed for customer racing. Audi also will offer the fully electric, rear-wheel-drive R8 e-tron—which will make for a true exotic.
Audi RS 6 V10
Key facts
Petrol
Saloon
Automatic
Overview
The "RS" initials are taken from the German: RennSport – literally translated as "racing sport", and is Audi's ultimate 'top-tier' high-performance trim level, positioned a noticeable step above the "S" model specification level of Audi's regular model range line-up. Like all Audi "RS" models, the RS6 pioneers some of Audi's newest and advanced engineering and technology, and so could be described as a halo vehicle, with the latest RS6 having the most powerful internal combustion engine out of all Audi models, with more horsepower and torque than the physically larger Audi S8. Unlike the A6 and S6, however, the RS6's engines in the C5 and C6 iterations have not been shared with any other vehicle in Audi's lineup. However for the C7 generation, the Audi RS6 has the same 4.0L biturbo V8 engine as the Audi RS7, with both being positioned at the top of the Audi S and RS range, and detuned variants of the same engines are found in the Audi S8, Audi A8, and Audi S6.
Based on the A6 platform, the RS6's internal combustion engines are front-mounted and longitudinally oriented, while the transmission is mounted immediately at the rear of the engine in a longitudinal orientation, in the form of a transaxle. Like all S and RS models, the RS6 is only available with Audi's 'trademark' Torsen-based quattro permanent four-wheel drive system.
The C5 RS6 was the fourth model to come out of Audi's private subsidiary company, "quattro GmbH". The first was the Audi RS2 Avant, from a joint venture between Porsche and quattro GmbH for the Audi marque. The second was the Audi C4 S6 Plus, produced from April 1996 to July 1997. Third was the 2000 Audi B5 RS4; the fifth was the 2005 Audi B7 A4 DTM Edition saloon, and the sixth was the 2006 Audi B7 RS4. The seventh and current (as of January 2010) quattro GmbH model is the latest Audi C6 RS 6.
Production of the original Audi C5 RS 6 began in June 2002 and ended in September 2004. The second and current Audi C6 RS 6 was introduced at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The original RS6 was the first Audi RS model exported to North America, while the succeeding C6 RS6 is only sold in Europe.
Competitors to the Audi RS 6 have included the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E55/E63 AMG.
Audi TTS
First Drive Review
When Audi conceived the TT in the mid-1990s, it knew it had a game-changer on its hands. The little coupe came into a virtually deserted segment and it served as a statement of Audi's commitment to design and precision engineering. An offspring of the VW Golf IV's PQ34 platform, the TT was shaped by a number of high-profile designers, including Freeman Thomas, Romulus Rost, Claus Potthoff, Marc Florian, and others. Peter Schreyer joined Audi at the end of the project. Engineering head Ulrich Hackenberg, now back in Ingolstadt after serving as head R&D man at VW, pushed it through with the support of Ferdinand Piëch. The concept blew minds at the 1995 Frankfurt auto show. Like no other car, it established Audi's credentials in the world of design.
The
second-generation TT, launched in the 2006 calendar year, was a better vehicle in many respects, but it lacked the uncompromising style of the original. Now Audi is attempting to recapture that original spirit with the third generation, which is launching in Europe right now. The new TT is about one year away from arriving in the U.S.
While the least powerful engine in European versions is a 184-hp 2.0-liter TDI, U.S. customers will see at least 220 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of twist from a standard
EA888 2.0-liter gasoline turbo. Despite the relatively modest power rating, the TT charges forward with zeal, in part thanks to its near-3000-pound curb weight. The second-generation TT tipped the scales some 200 pounds lighter than the first-gen version, and now the third-gen TT has dieted hard to lose another 90. The sprint from zero to 62 mph takes about 5.3 seconds according to Audi, while the top speed is a full 155 mph. The only available transmission for the U.S. version will be a six-speed dual-clutch automatic, and Quattro all-wheel drive will be standard.
While the TT feels quick, there is slight turbo lag, albeit effectively masked by the swift action of the dual-clutch gearbox. Push the touchy gas pedal and this Audi hisses and whooshes forward in a rush. The TT turns into corners eagerly with very little understeer, and the Sport setting of the stability-control system allows for considerable drift angles before intervening. The electrically boosted power steering is wonderfully precise and nicely weighted; it's one of the best we've driven.
There is no hiding the fact that the TT has the bones of more mas-market cars, however. Its seating position is a bit higher than that of, say, a
Porsche Cayman or a
BMW Z4. But while this may detract from an extreme sports-car feeling, it helps visibility. But make no mistake, there is no confusing the TT for an
A3 from the inside, as the interior, in the spirit of the first TT, is a design showcase.
Audi has simplified and decluttered the dashboard, eliminating the central display in the process. All information, including the navigation map, is now directly in front of the driver, on an ultra-high-quality TFT display that renders almost every other in-car screen obsolete. One trick sees a huge map digitally dismiss the tach and speedometer to the outer corners of the screen.
The HVAC controls, as well as the heated-seat controls, are hidden in the five air vents. And the MMI infotainment system, which now features the brand’s touch-pad interface, can also be operated from the steering wheel. The ultra-clean interior looks futuristic and is free of distractions. Co-drivers may complain about the lack of a central screen, but this is a sports car, right? As for rear accommodations, we suggest just folding those seats down for the extra cargo space; for adults, the claustrophobic rear compartment is an imposition. (Not that Audi promises much. It says the rear seats aren’t recommended for anyone above four feet, nine inches tall.)
The Audi TT will come to the U.S. in mid-2015 as a 2016 model; we estimate its base price will be just north of $40,000. With the emphasis on a return to the TT’s innovative design roots, Audi is looking to field a game-changer once again.
