Posted on Friday 15 August 2008
Update: New pictures of the R8 Spider on the Nurburgring
The convertible version of Audi’s R8 supercar has been spotted testing in Germany without a hint of camouflage material. These latest images of the test car reveal that the new convertible will gain a conventional fabric roof but misses out on the R8’s trademark aluminum side blades.
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 it 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 of the new R8. 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 claim the test car had the sound of a V10 and not a V8.
Audi R8 Spider at the Nurburgring
Audi R8 Spider
Audi R8 Spider rendering
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…
photoshop
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
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.
amazing and i agree with duh
Oh my dear. They even forgot to remove the stones behind the windshield…
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.
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…
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.
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
That flat black looks downright sexy!
Still one of the hottest cars ever built.
Anyone has any ideas on what this may retail for?
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.