Making a car, especially an supercar, go even faster may be a complicated business, but the idea is simplicity itself: decrease the weight, and increase the power. It’s the same notion that has made such supercars as the Ferrari 599 GTO and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera better performers than their progenitors. And now Audi applied the same formula to its R8.
Audi R8 GT
Called the Audi R8 GT this variant is based on the V10 model which features a 5.2 liter powerplant from the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. While the R8’s V-10 is nearly identical to the Lambo, Audi has tweaked the engine to produce 35hp and 10Nm of torque more, bring total power figures to 560hp and 540Nm of torque. The GT is also lighter by about 100 kilograms meaning it weighs 1,525 kilograms in total. This is made possible by employing certain modifications such as using a thinner glass, carbon fiber-reinforced rear hatch, rear bumper and sideblades, lighter brake system, lightweight carpeting and more.
The GT is only available with the aforementioned R-Tronic hydraulically actuated semi-automatic, and when pushed to its limit, the R8 GT is claimed to accelerate to 62 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds and on to 124 mph in 10.6 seconds. The terminal velocity has been increased to 198.8 mph. 15% of the power is distributed to the front differential while the balance 85% goes to the back. As much as 30% of power can be sent to the front. This new variant also gets a mechanical locking differential at the rear axle. It can provide up to 25% of lockup during acceleration.
Audi R8 GT
Engineers became pedantic for the interior; saving every possible gram with lightweight carpeting accounts for 7.9kg while the bucket seats with a chassis of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) account for 31.5kg. The Audi R8 GT also features full LED headlamps, flanked either side by slender carbon fibre canards which work together with the new front splitter to increase downforce at the front.
A carbon ceramic brake package is standard for the Audi R8 GT – with six pistons up front – in a red anodised finished, housed behind 19-inch forged wheels which feature an exclusive five twin-spoke Y design in a titanium-look finish. The ESP stabilization program has been specially tuned to the R8 GT and can be switched into a Sport mode at the push of a button to allow more rear slip, with the driver able to deactivate the system entirely for a trip to the race track.
The Audi R8 GT, which Audi sells in Germany for €193,000 ($276,500), still comes with an automatic climate control system and power windows, a navigation system with MMI operating logic and a powerful sound system. Audi will only make 333 examples of the R8 GT.
