Audi R8 Themed Catamaran

Why on earth would someone design a speedboat inspired from the Audi R8? Well, if we didn’t know better, we’d say that the catamaran’s designer probably wanted to style cars but instead ended up in the shipping business as the R8 Catamaran is Bo Zolland’s second automobile-inspired speedboat after the 1963 Corvette Stingray lookalike catamaran (see here). -Continued

According to the Swedish designer, the 8.8 meter long R8 speedboat has been designed to use a V10 biodiesel marine engine or two smaller 320 HP diesel units helping it to achieve a theoretical top speed of 110 MPH.

Link: Vizualtech

Video: 2010 Audi R8 Spider on the ‘Ring

The folks over AMS have captured a prototype version of the forthcoming Audi R8 Spider performing test runs on the famed Nurburgring race track in Germany. Contrary to previous reports, the video reveals that the R8 Spider will use a traditional fabric roof top rather than a lift-out targa top. According to Carscoop sources, apart from the standard R8’s 420 HP 4.2L V8 engine, the Spider will also be available with the RS6’s 580 HP 5.0L twin-turbocharged V10 engine which is being readied for the coupe variant in 2009. The R8 Spider is expected to make its debut at next year’s Frankfurt Show in September. -Video after the jump

O.CT Tuning Audi R8 and Audi RS6 Avant

Austrian tuning firm ‘O.CT’ has set its eyes this time on Audi’s range-topping sports cars, the R8 and the RS6 Avant. Starting off with the R8, O.CT has developed a custom made sport-exhaust system that helps the 4.2-liter V8 engine gain an extra 26 HP and 20 Nm of torque thus raising total output to 446 HP and maximum torque to 450 Nm.

Although there are no other modifications, the O.CT prepped R8 manages to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 5.3 sec and to 250 km/h (155mph) in 31 sec outpacing the standard R8 by 0.3 and 3 sec respectively. Top speed is also up by 9 km/h to 310 km/h or 193mph. -Continued

Like so many other tuners, O.CT believes that the RS6’s 580 HP 5.0-liter V10 engine could use a few extra ponies. That’s why the Austrian tuning firm developed a new engine control unit (ECU) and a custom made sport exhaust system for the RS6 raises total output by 70 HP to 650 HP and maximum torque by 100 Nm to 750 Nm.

With this sport kit the O.CT RS6 Avant sprints from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.9 sec and to 250 km/h (155mph) in 23.9 sec undercutting the standard RS6 Avant by 0.5 and 3.3 sec respectively. As for top speed, O.CT offers buyers the option to choose between two settings, one that allows the RS6 Avant to go up to 300 km/h or 187mph or all the way up to 325 km/h or 202mph.

EVO Pits the Audi RS6 Avant against the R8 to see which is Fastest

British car magazine EVO has tested two of the most desirable Audi’s of our time, the RS6 Avant and the R8 to find out which is the fastest; the 580HP V10-powered family orientated estate or the 420HP mid-engined supercar. Officially, the German automaker claims that both cars post identical 0-62mph (100km/h) and 0-124mph (200km/h) times of 4.6 sec and 14.9 sec respectively, but let’s see what the GPS receivers of the VBOX had to say about that.

In terms of sprint times, the R8 is faster than the RS6 Avant up to 90mph as it needs 4.1 to go from zero to 60 (96km/h) and 8.0 sec to 90mph (145km/h) while the RS6 Avant stopped the clock at 4.3 and 8.3 sec respectively. From 90mph and above, the RS6 takes the lead sprinting from 0 to 120mph (193 km/h) in 13.8 sec and to 150mph (241 km/h) in 23.0 sec (R8: 14.6 and 25.0 sec respectively). The two cars manage to achieve the same time of 12.7 sec in the quarter mile sprint. -Continued

However, the R8 proves to be the ‘king’ of in-gear times crushing the RS6 Avant: 50-70mph in fourth takes 3.4 sec -0.3 sec less than the RS6, while 110-130mph in sixth gear, 7.2 sec or a whopping 2.6 sec faster than the Avant. Same goes for stopping power as the R8 came to a standstill from 100mph (160 km/h) in 4.1 sec and 289.9 ft compared to the RS6 Avant’s 4.3 sec and 299.4 ft.

EVO also tested the two range-topping Audis on the Bedford Autodrome race track. Once again, the R8 proved to be faster with a lap time of 1:26.5, or 1.4 sec less than the RS6 Avant.

So overall, it’s safe to say that the R8 is the quickest -and apparently the more rewarding from a driver’s point of view. But, before you make any judgments, just hold on a minute and think about this; we’re talking about a luxurious, full size station wagon that combines supercar-like performance and enough space to haul your entire family and a fortnight’s worth of luggage…

Via: EVO -Opening Picture Edited by Carscoop

Audi R8 GT3 Race Version with 500+ HP and Rear-Wheel-Drive!

For the first time in its history, Audi is offering customers the chance to buy a racing sports car in the form of the GT3 version of the R8 coupe. "The R8 is the first production Audi bearing the name and genes of a successful racing sportscar and is therefore an excellent base from which to build up our first big customer sport program,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "Ever since the R8 was unveiled we’ve been inundated with enquiries about a race version.” Available for order from autumn 2009, the R8 GT3 will be able to participate in numerous national and international race series.

Given that the GT3 regulations prohibit the use of four-wheel drive, Audi’s race-spec sportscar comes with a rear-wheel-drive powertrain. The German automaker hasn’t given out all the details yet, but it did say that the mid-engined R8 GT3 will deliver more than 500 HP from the modified V8 engine. Power will be transmitted to the rear wheels via a newly developed six-speed sequential sports gearbox while the suspension will use almost exclusively components from the production model. -Continued

As you can see in the pictures, Audi has developed a full aerodynamic bodykit for the R8 GT3 that includes a modified front end and a large rear-wing to generate the required downforce. The R8 GT3 will also feature the necessary safety equipment to guarantee the well being of the driver in the case of an accident. The first test races of the race-prepped R8 in various European racing series are scheduled for the 2009 season.

Audi R8 Test Drive Goes Down with a Splash – Yep, it’s a Total Loss

Αs if accident-prone supercar owners weren’t enough of a hazard, we now have to deal with test drivers. And when we say test drivers, we don’t mean the professional sort but your everyday Joe who decides to take a supercar for a spin or in the case of the 33-year-old man from The Netherlands, for a catastrophic plunge. According to reports from the Dutch press, the 33-year-old man whose name hasn’t been released yet took the brand-new Audi R8 for a test drive near the town of Woerdense Verlaat when he suddenly lost control of the 420HP mid-engined supercar and ditched it into a river bank.

Luckily, no one got hurt but the Audi R8 that costs a staggering €157,630 or $232,500 in The Netherlands is considered a total loss. The Dutch press reported that while the speed limit on the particular road is 80 km/h or 50 mph, the R8 driver said he was going about 130 km/h or 80 mph. Unconfirmed reports say that he might have been going as fast as 200 km/h or 125 mph. Of course speed alone doesn’t (fully) justify the accident. According to the Dutch police, the accident may have been caused by a bump on the road at the point where the driver of the R8 lost control of the vehicle. -More images after the jump

Via: Autoblog.nl , Pics: Autojunk.nl

Video: Audi R8 Blackbird Puts KITT to Shame

Bearing the codename “Blackbird”, this souped up Audi R8 has more gadgets than Battlestar Galactica. Among other things, the blacked out German supercar gets four GPS units, a police scanner, a kill switch for the rear lights, two radar detectors, a CB radio, high-speed Internet with Wi-Fi running on a laptop, a remote-controlled exhaust bypass valve and the best of all, the so-called “liquid-cooled infrasonic wave pulse generator”. We can just hear Michael Knight bursting into tears… -Video after the jump

Via: Autoblog.com

Audi R8 Spider Rendering

Expected to arrive in mid-2009, the R8 Spider will be an open-top derivative of Audi’s successful supercar. While Audi has yet to reveal any details or pictures of the R8 Spider, a reader from the website Germancarscene, named Marcel de Graaf, decided to tease us with a computer generated image. The result is pretty convincing though we’re not sure about the canvas hood as our sources in Germany have stated that Audi will probably go for a targa top solution.

Pic via: Germancarscene

Audi R8 with 457 HP by Wheelsandmore

Wheelsandmore is a relatively unknown German tuning firm that specializes on high-end sportscars. Their latest proposition concerns the Audi R8 coupe for which they have developed a series of upgrades. Starting off with the R8’s 4.2-liter V8 engine, Wheelsandmore reprogrammed the ECU and added a new, handmade stainless steel exhaust system with valve control. As a result, output has been raised by 37Hp to 457Hp. -Continued

To better the R8’s handling, the German tuning firm has used new sport springs along with lowering the car’s road clearance by 25mm. Wheelsandmore also offers two different types of ultra light forged alloy wheels and a special brake system with 8 piston calipers and 14.96 inch brake discs combined with special race pads.

Audi R8 Gets First Full-LED Hedlamp Option

The range of equipment available for Audi’s R8 sports car has been enhanced with the addition of the first full-LED headlamps. Besides the daytime running lights that now feature 24 LEDs per headlamp, the new unit utilizes light-emitting diodes for the turn signals, the low-beam and the high-beam headlights. Apart from looking really cool, advantages in the use of LEDs are lower energy consumption and a color that more closely resembles daylight, provides greater contrast and is easier on the human eye. -Continued

Moreover, LEDs are also non-wearing, require a lower voltage, are compact and offer greater design freedom. However, the bad thing is that LEDs cost, and they cost a lot as if you decide to tick the LED option in the R8’s list of equipment, it will set you back €3,590 which translates to a whopping $5,570.