R8 joins Audi Sport lineup in PH

Audi Philippines has just announced the coming of the R8 Coupe V10 performance Quattro to lead the Audi Sport pack in the country.

The introduction of the Audi R8 follows the unveiling of the RS3 sedan, and the RS Q8 SUV and RS 6 Avant (wagon with supercar capabilities), bringing the total to four model offerings for this month alone.

Audi Philippines highlighted that these offerings are all 2021-year models—not carryovers from the previous year.

Powering the new R8 is a 5.2 FSI V10 engine that is capable to dish out 620 horsepower and 580 Nm of pulling power. This allows the Audi R8 to hit zero to 100 kilometers per hour (km/h) in 3.1 seconds before reaching the maximum breakneck speed of 331 km/h.

The uprated numbers are due to an optimized valve train with components made of titanium, resulting in instantaneous response as the engine freely revs all the way to 8,700 rpm.

These numbers mean nothing if they were not proven on the track, but they have been.

The effectivity of the changes were proven based on the records posted by the R8 LMS—the racecar version of the road-going R8—in various motor sports series.

Just recently, the R8 LMS of Team WRT bagged a podium finish in the Dubai 24 Hours, the first full endurance race of the 2021 season. The latest success follows a string of victories for customer racing teams using the R8 LMS.

Last season, included among these are podiums and wins at the Spa 24 Hours, DTM Trophy, GT World Challenge in Zandvoort, Campionato Italiano GT Sprint, Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy and other endurance race series held in Belgium, New Zealand, China, Japan and Thailand.

“Motorsports are part of our DNA. The R8 has around 50 percent shared parts with the R8 LMS GT3,” Audi Sport GmbH Technical Managing Director Oliver Hoffmann said.

While it offers powerful figures, the Audi R8 has fuel efficiency capabilities, thanks to its cylinder-on-demand system, which deactivates ignition in some cylinders under certain conditions.

Complementing the engine is the seven-speed s-tronic dual-clutch transmission, which sends power to the quattro all-wheel drive system. Unlike other all-wheel drive systems, the quattro in the new R8 can send up to 100 percent of the drive torque to the front or rear axle.

For its suspension, the Audi R8 has Audi magnetic ride, a regulated damping system that continuously adapts the shock absorbers for each wheel based on the driving style and the road it is on.

On the outside, the new R8 model has a wider Singleframe grille, while winglets at the side split the large air inlets as it sits on 20-inch alloy wheels that are available in five-V-spoke matte bronze, titan gray, or glossy black finish. Meanwhile, the Audi Sport Glossy Carbon Styling Package further updates the supercar’s look.

Inside, the driver will be greeted with a host of premium items such as Fine Nappa leather trim with contrast stitching for the sport seats; Bang&Olufsen audio with speakers integrated into the seats; Alcantara molded headliner; leather-wrapped, flat-bottom sport steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles; matte carbon twill inserts; and the Audi smartphone interface, among others.

Photos from Audi Philippines

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