Audi has revealed the next R8 modification called the GT RWD. In this guise, the R8 gets a 5.2-liter V10 tuned to 620 PS (612 hp / 456 kW), becoming the marque’s most powerful RWD car ever. Only 333 units will be made priced from €225,000.
The torque peaks at 565 PS (417 lb-ft). The seven-speed DCT benefits from revised gear ratios for faster initial acceleration. As a result, the car launches to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.4 seconds, 0.4s faster than the entry-level RWD spec. The Audi R8 Quattro equipped with the same engine still manages it faster with 3.1 seconds. The top speed is 320 km/h (199 mph), just 11 km/h (7 mph) below the AWD spec.
A number of components were redesigned to weigh as little as possible. For instance, the sway bar was made from CFP. Lightweight 20-inch wheels and ceramic brakes are part of the base spec, too. As a consequence, the car weighs 20 kilos (44 pounds) less than the base RWD spec. You can also opt for adjustable suspension dampers if you would like to tweak compression and rebound.
A feature called Torque Rear Drive can be activated with a button on the steering wheel and offers seven settings for an optimal drifting experience. The electronics on board let you maintain long controlled drift slides thanks to smart torque vectoring on the rear wheels: the systems analyze their rotation speeds, the angle of the steering wheel and the position of the accelerator pedal to prolong the drift.
On the outside, the Audi R8 GT RWD can be recognized by its new polished carbon-fiber aerodynamic parts, including an impressively large goose-neck rear wing. The interior makes use of bucket seats wrapped in leather and Alcantara and has red accents all around, including on the safety harnesses.
The sales will begin in 2023.
