Happenings

The All New Audi R8 Spyder

BY Keegan Gan

The all-new Audi R8 Spyder, makes a very clear statement about design, style and sophistication.

Breathtakingly dynamic, the all-new Audi R8 Spyder is a car that provides a unique combination of performance and emotion. Equally adept at cruising the great boulevards of the world with its top dropped as it is on the track.

The V10 engine produces 525 bhp and launches the open-top two seater to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h. Featuring technologies such as the Audi Space Frame (ASF), quattro permanent all-wheel drive, full-LED headlights and with an innovative seatbelt microphone as standard, the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro is the top-of-the-range Audi.

The R8 Spyder is also available with the V8 engine. The 4.2-litre FSI produces 430 bhp and launches the open-top two-seater to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds to a top speed of 299 km/h. The engine is mated to the R tronic sequential manual gearbox; quattro permanent all-wheel drive is standard.

The sculptured lines of the emotion-packed, high-performance sports car are a fascinating and unique interpretation of its dynamism. Unlike the Coupé, the Spyder does not have sideblades behind the doors. The side panels and the large cover over the storage compartment for the cloth top are made of a carbon fibre composite. Two arched cowls, which extend to the spoiler lip and include large, integrated air vents, give the rear of the open-top two-seater a powerful profile.

The electrohydraulic soft top opens and closes in 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h. When opened, it folds like a Z into its storage compartment over the engine. The compartment cover opens and closes automatically. A glass window, which is separate from the cloth top, is lowered into the bulkhead. It can be independently raised and lowered at the press of a switch, with the top up or down. An additional net-like wind deflector comes standard and can be latched into the bulkhead behind the seats in two easy steps. The top, which comprises an outer skin of a leakproof textile fabric and the headliner, is fully compatible with high-speed driving.