| Audi R8 | |
|---|---|
 Audi R8 V10 Plus (Type 4S) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Audi (Audi Sport GmbH)[1] |
| Production | June 2006 – March 2024 |
| Model years | 2007–2024 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car (S) |
| Body style | 2-doorcoupé 2-doorconvertible (spyder) |
| Layout | Longitudinalmid-engine,rear-wheel-drive /all-wheel-drive[2] |
TheAudi R8 is amid-engine, 2-seatersports car,[2][3] which uses Audi's trademarkquattro permanentall-wheel drive system.[2] It was introduced by the German car manufacturerAudi AG in 2006. Production ended in the first quarter of 2024.
The car is exclusively designed, developed, and manufactured by Audi AG's private subsidiary company manufacturing high performance automotive parts,Audi Sport GmbH (formerly quattro GmbH),[4] and is based on theLamborghini Gallardo and presently theHuracán platform.[5] The fundamental construction of the R8 is based on theAudi Space Frame,[2] and uses an aluminiummonocoque which is built using space frame principles. The car is built by Audi Sport GmbH in a newly renovated factory at Audi's 'aluminium site' atNeckarsulm in Germany.[2] At the time it was introduced in 2006, the R8 became the first production car with full-LED headlamps.[6]
The Audi R8, based on theAudi Le Mans quattroconcept car (designed by Frank Lamberty and Julian Hoenig) first appeared at the2003 International Geneva Motor Show and the2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The R8 road car was officially launched at theParis Auto Show on 30 September 2006. There was some confusion with the name, which the car shares with the24 Hours of Le Mans winningR8 Le Mans Prototype (LMP). Initial models included the R8 4.2 FSI coupé (with a V8 engine) and R8 5.2 FSI coupé (with a V10 engine). Convertible models, called theSpyder by the manufacturer, were introduced in 2008, followed by the high-performance GT model introduced in 2011. The Motorsport variants of the R8 were also subsequently introduced from 2008 onwards. An all-electric version called the e-Tron started development but would only reach production stage when the second generation model would be introduced.
6-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winnerJacky Ickx described the R8 as "the best handling road car today".[7][8][9]
The car received a facelift in 2012 and a new model called the V10 Plus was now added to the range. Production of the Type 42 ended in August 2015.[10][11][12]
The second generation of the R8 (model code: Type 4S) was unveiled at the2015 Geneva Motor Show and is based on the Modular Sports System platform shared with theLamborghini Huracán. The development of the Type 4S commenced in late 2013 and was completed in late 2014 (2015 model year in Europe, 2017 model year in the US). Initial models included the all-electric e-Tron and the V10 5.2 FSI along with the V10 plus. Unlike its predecessor, there was no manual transmission available and the entry-level V8 trim was also dropped.[13][14] In 2016, the convertible (Spyder) variant was added to the line up which was initially available in the base V10 trim. In mid-2017, the high performance V10 plus Spyder was added to the range. A rear-wheel-drive model called the R8 RWS was introduced.
In 2018 (2020 model year in the US), the R8 received a mid-cycle refresh with mechanical and exterior changes. The newer and more aggressive design language carried over from famous Audi models of the past and its appearance is slightly more angular up front. The refreshed model had substantial performance improvements over its predecessor.[15] The base R8 gets a power boost from 532 hp to 562 hp, while the V10 Plus was renamed V10 Performance Quattro and the engine saw a power increase by 10 hp (7 kW), now up to 612 hp.[16]2023 R8 GT is last R8 with 620hp limited to 333 units.
TheAudi R8 e-tron (2015) was an all-electric version of the second-generation R8. Unlike the earlier 2010 prototype based on the first-generation R8, it actually entered production, but only on a small scale, with less than 100 units sold. It featured a 92-kWh battery.
To produce the R8 atAudi Sport GmbH, 70 workers fit 5,000 different parts by hand. The factory atNeckarsulm, redeveloped at a cost of€28 million, usually produces between eight and fifteen cars a day, up to a maximum daily output of 29 cars.[2] Ninety-five lasers inspect the entire car in five seconds to ensure that over 220 measurements are within 0.1 millimetres of the programmed plans.[17]
| Year | World | US | Europe | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6[18] | |||
| 2006 | 164[18] | 80[19] | ||
| 2007 | 4,125[20] | 240[21] | 2,035[19] | 34[22] |
| 2008 | 5,656[23] | 900[21] | 2,935[19] | 155[22] |
| 2009 | 2,101[24] | 699[21] | 1,656[19] | 152[22] |
| 2010 | 3,485[25] | 799[21] | 1,632[19] | 137[22] |
| 2011 | 3,551[12] | 1,145[21] | 1,278[19] | 147[22] |
| 2012 | 2,241[12] | 802[21] | 1,046[19] | 116[22] |
| 2013 | 2,500[12] | 813[21] | 1,021[19] | 111[22] |
| 2014 | 2,214[26] | 735[21] | 859[19] | 116[22] |
| 2015 | 2,074[26] | 495[21] | 1,108[19] | 89[22] |
| 2016 | 3,688[27] | 736[21] | 1,428[19] | 158[22] |
| 2017 | 3,179[27] | 772[28] | 225[22] (Jan–Nov) | |
| 2018 | 1,764[29] | |||
| 2019 | 2,121[29] | |||
| Total | 38,869 (2005–2019) | 8,136 (2007–2017) | 15,078[19] (2006–2016) | 1,436 (2007–Nov 2017) |
The R8 became the personal vehicle forTony Stark (played byRobert Downey Jr.) throughout six films in theMarvel Cinematic Universe.Type 42 models were used in theIron Man Trilogy with a V8 inIron Man,[31] a V10 Spyder inIron Man 2,[32] and an e-tron prototype inIron Man 3.[33][34]Type 4S models appeared in laterMarvel Studios movies with 2016 V10 Plus models inAvengers: Age of Ultron[35] andCaptain America: Civil War[36] and a Spyder model inSpider-Man: Homecoming.[37]
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