AUDI STEPS UP THE PACE WITH EVEN MORE EXTREME 560PS R8 GT
Exclusive new version of celebrated V10 sports car packs even more power to propel even less weight for breathtaking performance

■Limited to 33 UK-bound examples, the R8 GT opens for order in summer priced at £142,585 OTR– first deliveries in spring 2011
■Kerb weight reduced by 100kg to 1,525kg, output of V10 FSI engine boosted to 560PS and torque to 540Nm, giving an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 367PS per ton
■Available exclusively with R tronic automated manual transmission
■0-62mph in 3.6 seconds, combined mpg 20.6
■Fastest ever road-going Audi with 199mph top speed

Performance is even more acutely of the essence in the new Audi R8 GT, a distillation of the celebrated R8 V10 formula into an even more concentrated and potent form. Through an engine upgrade to 560PS, and the use of even more intensively weight optimized alternatives to many body and mechanical components, the 100kg lighter R8 GT is able to deliver even more breathtaking pace and handling poise. A total of 33 examples of the most extreme road-going R8 to date will become available to order in the summer at an OTR price of £142,585.

The R8 GT benefits from the considerable expertise gained in paring back the weight and maximizing the performance potential of the R8 LMS GT3, the circuit car with which it draws obvious parallels, and which won 23 races in its first season and claimed three championships in 2009 and 2010.

Thanks to its largely hand built aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) body, weighing only 210 kilograms, and the lightweight aluminium panels joined to it with exceptional precision, the ‘standard’ R8 is already a flyweight by class standards, but by closely scrutinizing every element of the car Audi engineers have managed to whittle away a further 100kg, taking the kerb weight to 1,525kg.

Nine of these kilograms were lost through the use of thinner glass for the windscreen, and a strong but light polycarbonate for the bulkhead and the window in the rear hatch. Lighter sheet metal and additional cutouts shaved a further 2.6 kilograms from the aluminium ‘boot lid’ covering the 100 litre luggage compartment at the front, and at the rear the replacement of the speed activated rear spoiler with a fixed rear wing docked an additional 1.2 kilograms.

Use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the rear ‘bonnet’ has eliminated a further 6.6 kilograms, and a new CFRP rear bumper and CFRP sideblades also save 5.2 and 1.5 kilograms respectively. With its minimal weight and extremely high strength, CFRP is the ideal material for a high-performance sports car, and Audi has broad-based expertise in its use.