Finally, Audi Sport takes the cover off the R8 V10 RWS at the dawn of 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. The long awaited rear-wheel drive R8 is here, and as the newest addition to the supercar's range, the automaker decided to only produce 999 units of the Coupe and the Spyder trims.
For the R8 V10 RWS, Audi had to get rid of the Quattro system to give way to the RWD layout, though the naturally aspirated V10 remains intact. Now, without the Quattro, the R8 loses as much as 50 kilograms (110 pounds) for the fixed roof model, while the droptop only loses 40 kilos (88 pounds). The 5.2 FSI V10 engine is mounted on the middle, where it produces the same 540 horsepower (397 kilowatts) and 540 Newton-metres (398 pound-feet) of torque as the all-wheel drive version of the R8. This is why the RWD version lacks the rear wing of the more powerful Plus model. The R8 is better known for an extreme track day more than just cruising around Beverly Hills.
In terms of performance, the Coupe version can accelerate from a standstill to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in only 3.7 seconds - that makes it two tenths of a second faster than the R8 with the Quattro system. The Spyder, on the other hand, can finish the task in 3.8 seconds, considering that it is slightly heavier. It is still 0.2 seconds faster than its AWD sibling. The R8 Coupe version can still go off to a maximum of 198.8 miles per hour (320 kilometers per hour), while the Spyder does it in 197.6 miles per hour (318 kph), same as its Quattro counterpart.
Audi Sport did not just stop after turning the R8 into a rear-wheel drive machine. They also tweaked the vehicle’s chassis and control systems, so that the driver can have more fun behind the wheel, doing controlled drifts. Now, there are more reasons for you to go for the RWS model more than it just its rear-wheel drive setup. Another thing that customers must consider is the decrease in price. The RWS Coupe now starts at €140,000, and the Spyder is at €153,000 in Germany. The coupe is now €26,000 cheaper than the its equivalent Quattro model.
So far, this is the first-ever production and street legal RWD R8 the company has built. Though at some point, there was the R8 LMS but it is considered to be a race car. Customers can begin placing their orders for the R8 V10 RWS in Europe this fall, but we do not know yet if Audi will bring this model to the US.