Who doesn’t love sports cars? We think we love them more than you do, but no doubt you are convinced it’s the other way around. But unfortunately, we are both fishing next to the net, because no one loves sports cars more than… insurance companies.
Ideal marriage. Although, there is one more who loves them just a little more, the government. And their love is of such magnitude that they never quite show it. The part we get to see usually comes through the mail in the letterbox. A rectangular envelope with a window in it, and in the left corner their logo. They make any recipient’s heart beat faster, but few manage to do so with such regularity. But it doesn’t stop there, because they also hide much of their feelings. They capture them by secretly taking photos, cherish them for a short while and then send them back in another beautiful envelope. This time with an amount and an account number, because true love has to cost something. That weekly car wash, that special coating to protect your paintwork, that interior cleaning, that unique parking space in your mancave, those summer drives along the coastline, they show a lot of passion for your sports car and sometimes seem like an ideal marriage. But make no mistake, your mistress is always around….
International fact. When we say sports car, many immediately think of the Italian racing stable of Ferrari, the German reliability of Porsche or the iconic Corvette. A sports car has long been an international phenomenon, and even countries that do not otherwise manufacture cars often have or had a sports car manufacturer on their territory. Belgium and Gillet, the Netherlands and Spyker, Croatia and Rimac, Austria and KTM, Sweden and Koenigsegg,… And so yes, sports cars come from all corners of the world. But there are also quite a few coming out of Germany, and one of them is the somewhat less sportily trimmed Audi R8.
Holiday request. The V10 engine made its introduction with the first-generation R8 in 2009. From then on, it has always been there, and it was not until 2010 before the GT was introduced. Back then, only 666 of them were built, half with and half without a soft roof top. Now 12 years later, the farewell to the R8 in current form is presumably near, as the successor will presumably be an EV. And in Ingolstadt, they have decided to release another 333, but as a RWD supercar. It is instantly the most powerful rear-wheel-drive Audi ever, and there are already rumours that racetracks worldwide have filed holiday requests for when this R8 V10 GT RWD visits.
On a diet. With 612 hp and 565 Nm of torque, the rear wheels get a lot of power. In doing so, they do get help from a 7-speed automatic transmission equipped with a dual-clutch transmission. Audi has also cut down on weight, so this R8 GT now weighs just 1570 kg. That obviously makes for fine numerical work, and so we’re not surprised that the 0-100 km/h is done in just 3.4 seconds, and that it even takes barely 10.1 seconds for the counter to display 200 km/h. The party doesn’t end until the top speed of 320 km/h is reached.
Drift Mode. Another new feature is the so-called Torque Rear Mode. This lets you go and set how much slip the car allows. For little slip, choose level 1; if you are an expert in avoiding crash barriers, choose level 7, and drifting through corners should be a breeze. In terms of looks, Audi has learned a lot in recent years from the Aftermarket industry, which has long known that even a standard sports car is going to look better with some tasteful modifications. This Audi R8 V10 GT looks pretty hefty, and was also given a set of lightweight rims. Incidentally, it is mainly the carbon fiber parts such as the splitter, canards, and pieces in the rear bumper that highlight its hefty appearance.
Special meaning. Inside, it is enjoyable, as there is no rear seat. However, there is a roll cage and two bucket seats, and what did you expect, a lot of carbon fiber. By means of an emblem at the level of the gear lever, customers can see which of the 333 examples they own. We think there will be a particular fight for number 176, because surely this number has a very special meaning. Which one, we haven’t quite decided yet. What we do know is that this might be the very last R8 that requires flammable liquids. And while we already know for sure that an EV sequel will undoubtedly deliver unique performance, the sound of a V10 will never be topped.