Key Points: Ara Blue Crystal Exterior Paint.
The Type 4S Audi R8 is the second generation of the popular German sports car. Based on the Lamborghini Huracán, it shares its Modular Sports System platform and potent V10 engine.
The 4S R8’s body is lighter and stiffer than the first-generation R8, due to the substitution of several large aluminium shell components with carbon fibre. Extra electronics are incorporated in the chassis to improve handling, while the ‘Virtual Cockpit’ first introduced in the TT was also made available. The seven-speed S-Tronic transmission is standard, with no manual transmission option.
The four-wheel drive ‘Quattro’ coupe was first released with two production variants, the base 5.2 FSI and the more powerful V10 Plus, before the Spyder model was introduced at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. Initially, the Spyder was only available with the standard 5.2 FSI engine, although a more powerful V10 Plus Spyder was added to the range in mid-2017. The R8 received a mid-cycle facelift in October 2018, whereby the base V10 was renamed V10 Quattro, while V10 Plus was renamed the V10 Performance Quattro. Engine power increased, and other mechanical changes included larger carbon-ceramic brakes, and a new steering rack system for a more direct response.
Audi announced in 2019 that rear-wheel drive R8 V10 models would become permanent in its lineup, alongside the four-wheel drive Quattros. Powered by the same FSI V10 used in the limited-edition RWS (rear-wheel series) models, the V10 RWD also featured more aggressive weight reductions. The Spyder variant weighs 55 kg less than the four-wheel drive Quattro Spyder, at 1,695 kg. It also boasts a 40:60 weight distribution, similar to the RWS. The V10 RWD is visually similar to its Quattro sibling, though the badge on the dashboard is replaced with ‘RWD’ lettering.
On 7 October 2021, Audi introduced an uprated version of the limited-edition V10 RWS, named the V10 Performance RWD. The model features a slightly detuned engine from the V10 Quattros, producing 562 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque.
