Audi’s R8 V10 Spyder launches in South Africa

Ahh, the R8 V10. The everyday supercar, and one of the easiest supercars to drive fast.  It also happens to produce (once the exhaust flaps are opened) a spine tingling sound from its normally aspirated V10 engine.  Best we enjoy that wailing V10 before the emissions police shuts the party down.  Could this be its swansong? If so, what a way to go out.  Now available in South Africa as a convertible, the car that re-wrote the supercar hand book has arrived with its roof walloped off.

Zero to 100 km/h takes just 3.6 seconds, 11.8 seconds for the sprint from 0 to 200 km/h and a top speed of 318 km/h.  The chassis is 50% more rigid than that of the previous Spyder.

R8 Spyder combines three high-tech components: a 7-speed S tronic gearbox, a newly developed, fully variable multi-plate clutch and a locking differential.

The power is transferred via a propshaft from the S tronic to a completely redesigned quattro drive. Its heart is an electronically controlled and electro-hydraulically actuated multi-plate clutch that is integrated into the front axle transmission and is connected to the engine cooling circuit for maximum performance.

Inside, Audi’s signature virtual cockpit is showcased, and the exterior design is much the same as the hard top, with much more angular lines than the previous model.  The R8 Sypder tips the scales at a hefty 1.7 tons but trust us, with that much power and the incredible chassis, the car should feel much lighter than it is.

No news of a V10 Plus version but let’s hope Audi keeps making N/A V10’s and releases its top trump in the coming months.

Pricing

The Audi R8 Spyder will be priced as follows with a 5 year/100 000km Audi Freeway Plan.

• Audi R8 Spyder V10 quattro S tronic: R 2,905,500