Audi R8 V10 FSI – All you need to know!
By now we have all been accustomed to the new Audi R8 V10. Recently showcased at the Detroit Motor Show, Audi attracted attention from all corners due to its sleek design and exceptional engineering. Audi has announced that it will release the V10 in the second quarter of 2009 and will come in at a price of 142, 000 Euros, so no price change there.
To say that the V10 is a detuned Lamborghini is an insult to all the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into piecing this explosive puzzle together, not to mention the world-class technology and the patented applications employed in the V10. It is a well known fact that the V10 FSi engine produces a maximum power of 525bhp and goes from 0 to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds synonymous with great potential.
At 6500rpm the car delivers a maximum torque of 530 Nm and begs to be revved up to 8000rpm to produce maximum power. A top speed of 316km/h (196 mph) is achieved with the permanent all wheel drive setup which provides maximum traction over most surfaces.
Continue reading for the rest of the report and to watch a video, as well as to view a photo gallery.
Now that’s out of the way let me get to what makes this car what it is. Let’s start from the interior which is glazed in the finest Nappa leather and a 465 watt Bang and Olufsen sound system which has 12 speakers placed around the car that comes as standard.
Options include front spoiler, rear diffuser and a carbon fiber cover for this mid mounted engine. Storage space makes this car practical as it has 100 liters of storage capacity under the front hood and 90 liters behind the back seats. It also boasts generous interior space with room to fit large adults unlike some midget-only sports cars around.
The engine, a work of art itself, employs brilliant technology which propels this car to 200km/h in 12 seconds. With a power to weight ratio of 323 bhp/ton, which basically means 1 horseppwer is used to move an incredibly 3kg. Overall weight for a manual version is 1620kg which comes in handy when propelling a light mass to super quick speeds. Attention to detail has been key at Audi even the roars and grunts of the car have been fine tuned via the exhausts to produce a symphony of perfection.
Another key word in production of any sports car today is weight, which is why the engine is relatively compact and only weighs 258kg. Various designs within the engine reduce internal vibrations and increased rigidity which equates to maximum performance. The body work employs the Audi Space Frame which is completely built of aluminum and comes in at only 210kgs. The torsional rigidity and weight helps with the overall performance in out of corners as you can imagine everything remains as stiff as you want it to be.
Every aspect of the ride of this car has been taken into account, the most important being the handling and suspension. As we all know the V10 employs Audi’s all wheel drive system or Quattro as it is known. This would mean it will have maximum traction at any given time, be it coming out of a muddy corner at 60mph or taking a hairpin turn at 30, the AWD system helps you put the throttle down sooner. Power is mostly sent to the rear wheels but when needed, it could be distributed to the front within a few milliseconds coupled with a slip diff to maintain maximum traction.
The smarty-pants launch control on the car is even catered to the red-blooded-ness of the driver by matching the ideal amount of tire slip for best possible acceleration on the tarmac. The V10 will come in either with a 6-speed manual or an R-tronic single clutch automated manual option.
Precision of the handling and suspension setup has been fine tuned with 8000 test drive kilometers in the north loop of the Nϋrburgring. The hydraulic rack and pinion steering gives exceptional feedback to the driver which in turn produces precision driving. The magnetic ride on the V10 further sets itself apart adapting to the variable contours of the road at the rate of milliseconds. The pistons within the shock absorbers contain a hydrocarbon based oil which contain magnetic particles. When voltage is applied a magnetic field is created which slows down the flow of the oil to the pistons by orientating themselves crosswise to the flow of direction which happens in a few milliseconds.
This car is an engineering marvel an ode to its racing heritage and is worth the base price of 142, 000 Euros that is in place. Hopefully this writer will experience the joy of listening to the sound of that V10 and the almost non-existent G-forces felt went taking a corner at 60mph due the exceptional suspension dampening system (hints to AUDI AG).
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The R8 is such a beautiful beast of a supercar, it simply takes my breath away. At present it adorns the lid of my laptop as its’ skin. LOL. I would have preferred it adorning my garage instead. Well, someday, just maybe…..