Other major changes for the new 'Spider' that are expected to make it to production will be additional air intakes located behind the seats as well as a pair of safety roll-over bars. The placement of the fuel filler cap will also be changed due to the missing rear pillars, while changes under the sheetmetal will likely include extra chassis strengthening.
While the base model will likely stick with the hard-top’s 420hp (313kW) 4.2L V8 engine, there’s talk that Audi may shoehorn the 5.2L V10 from the S6 and S8 sports-saloons into a mid-level model and reserve the 5.0L twin-turbo V10 from the RS6 for a high-performance RS-variant.
The differences between the RS-variant and the standard V8 model will extend beyond just horsepower outputs. The chassis has reportedly been modified to accommodate the extra power, gaining upgraded suspension, steering and braking systems.
This particular test car is thought to be the top end RS version. Tell-tale signs are the exhaust pipe and diffusers, which are the same as those fitted to Audi’s other V10 models, as well as the new grille design. Onlookers even claimed the test car had the sound of a V10 and not a V8.
The R8 Spider is expected to make its debut next year, most likely at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Reader Comments
Mon Aug 6 2007 3:19 PM
Gus says
Ooooooh, pretty.
So I wouldn't be able to go all the way to 301km/h? That really sucks since I do that all the time in the States... :)
Mon Aug 6 2007 3:45 PM
Andy says
photoshop
Mon Aug 6 2007 6:51 PM
ultima says
Andy may be the most astute person on the planet right now, he deserves some kind of medal.
Nice rendering by the way, but i think with my money id go with one of the other supercar manufacturers - audi is a bit watered down for me
Mon Aug 6 2007 9:48 PM
duh says
yes, it is photoshop, that's why it says "drawing" has been leaked, not "photos."
it is a great car though, and I think ultima is missing the point a bit. It's not a supercar like a ferrari/lambo/koneiggsegg(ha, that's spelled wrong for sure)/zonda/whatever you think of when you think supercar. It's an everyday supercar, along the likes of a porsche 911. Which is what it almost directly competes with, perhaps a half step up as far as power and price go. The reason it's so hard to think of things to compare it to is that there isn't anything. The 911 has held the everyday supercar niche alone for quite some time now.
Tue Aug 7 2007 3:20 AM
addy says
amazing and i agree with duh
Tue Aug 7 2007 8:50 AM
Daniel says
Oh my dear. They even forgot to remove the stones behind the windshield...
Tue Aug 7 2007 10:32 AM
Jay says
Haha nice spot. Perhaps the renderign artist was a bit lazy that day!
Anyway at least we can see the rest of the car fine and it does look quite impressive.
Tue Aug 7 2007 11:57 AM
Gus says
It would be my first choice for a 2-seat roadster, having seen all the reviews about how smooth the ride is while still being responsive, the tractable power, the 4 wheel drive, and so on and so on.
Here in Newport Beach, CA I'm sure we'll see a few to drool over...
Fri May 2 2008 4:02 AM
R-eight says
Lucky me to live in the town where these lovely cars are produced. So the place is full of R8s at the moment and can't wait for the Spyder to show up. It's just an adorable piece of work.
Tue Aug 12 2008 1:52 PM
--Graham-- says
man that R8 in the photo's is awesome, the flat black looks good, it is almost like a titanium edition R8, and the convertible top looks alot better than i thought it would. I am expecting this version to be sold out for another 2-3 years like the current R8 is
Tue Aug 12 2008 2:09 PM
Layne says
That flat black looks downright sexy!
Fri Aug 15 2008 2:13 PM
andras says
Still one of the hottest cars ever built.
Fri Aug 15 2008 3:22 PM
InkMaster says
Anyone has any ideas on what this may retail for?
Fri Aug 15 2008 7:58 PM
Gus says
Still can't get over the slightly, just ever so slightly awkward shape.
Saw one in person down the street at the Ferrari dealer the other day:
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/chybagus/IMG_5848copy.jpg
Doesn't quite give off that supercar, breathtaking "vibe" like a Lambo or Ferrari. Maybe it's a German thing, too perfect, somewhat passoinless design, I don't know.
Thu Aug 21 2008 9:07 PM
Kevin says
I agree with the other posters - very impressive looking in that flat black color. The great thing about this roadster concept is that they have done away with that awkward "blade" that cut vertically across the sides. I've always thought the R8 looked awkward and lumpy because of this. In this droptop guise it's actually a great looking car!
Thu Aug 28 2008 4:14 PM
Gus says
Yeah, you're right, I hadn't noticed that!
I really look forward to seeing one in person with the top down.
Thu Aug 28 2008 10:47 PM
CK says
Well Kevin then think that we life in a global world and that the Lambos for instance are designed by a belgium who has got this job because of guys at Audi ;) So no cool italian designer behind that.
The german passion is just differend. More refined than raw.
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