New Audi R8 Spyder V10 unleashed in the Middle East

The 525 hp V10 engine accelerates the high-performance sports car with the lightweight cloth top to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h. The 5.2-liter engine produces 530 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm and 525 hp at 8,000 rpm. Each hp only needs to move 3.3 kilograms of weight. The engine offers amazing thrust and hangs tenaciously on the throttle in every situation accompanied by that unmistakable ten-cylinder Audi sound.

Audi offers a classic manual and an R tronic sequential six-speed transmission as an option. Launch Control manages engagement of the clutch for maximum acceleration. The standard suspension includes the high-end Audi magnetic ride technology, in which the shock absorbers adjust their response to the road conditions and the driver's style within milliseconds. The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro rolls on 19-inch wheels. The four brake discs are internally ventilated and perforated. Optionally available from Audi are large carbon fiber-ceramic discs that are lightweight, robust and long-lived. The ESP stabilization system has a Sport mode and can also be completely deactivated.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro features a fascinating package of technologies, including the Audi Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum and carbon fiber composite, quattro permanent all-wheel drive, the excellent sound system from Bang & Olufsen, LED headlights and the innovative seatbelt microphone. The leather seat coverings are specially pigmented to reduce heating as a result of the sun's rays.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro sports a cloth soft top in classic Audi style, which keeps the vehicle's total weight and center of gravity low. The top opens and closes within 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h.

Jeff Mannering, Managing Director of Audi Middle East, on the launch "The R8 Spyder will sell a selected number of units only. Its true value lies in its role as an ambassador of the Audi brand."

The Audi R8 Spyder V10 is available in the Middle East as of now, starting from $148,229.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro captivates from the very first glance. Its lines offer a unique interpretation of the dynamics and emotion of a high-performance sports car. Two distinctive silver cowls, into which the large air intake openings are integrated, give the long back a powerful profile. Unlike the Coupé, the R8 Spyder has classic air intakes behind the doors. The rear side panels and the large cover over the storage compartment for the cloth top are made of a carbon fiber composite.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro sports a cloth soft top in classic Audi style. The soft top's approximate weight is a mere 42 kilograms; it thus keeps the vehicle's total weight and center of gravity low. When closed it melds harmoniously into the design line - it ends in two slim fins that extend toward the rear and have a contour similar to that of the Coupé hard top.

The top is suitable without restriction for high-speed driving and is quiet. With the standard electrohydraulic motor, the top opens and closes within 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h. The heated glass window is integrated separately into the bulkhead and can be raised and lowered via a switch with the soft top up or down. Audi also provides a wind deflector that can be installed in just two steps.

The bulkhead includes integrated rollover protection in the form of two pretensioned plates. The aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) body of the R8 Spyder is reinforced at important locations, yet it tips the scales at a mere 216 kilograms - just six kilograms more than the Coupé. Equipped with a manual transmission, the high-performance sports car weighs only 1,720 kilograms.

Prodigious power: the drivetrain
The new top-of-the-range Audi offers incredible performance. The free-breathing V10 with the aluminum crankcase features direct gasoline injection. The 12.5:1 compression ratio that the FSI concept enables contributes to the high performance and good efficiency. Dry sump lubrication, another motorsport technology, ensures the reliable supply of oil even at the maximum lateral and longitudinal acceleration.

The 5.2-liter engine produces 530 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm and 368 kW (525 hp) at 8,000 rpm. Its specific power output is 100.9 hp per liter of displacement; each hp only needs to move 3.3 kilograms of weight. The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h. The engine offers amazing thrust and hangs tenaciously on the throttle in every situation accompanied by that unmistakable ten-cylinder Audi sound.

Audi offers the R tronic sequential six-speed transmission as an option. This has a fully automatic and a manual mode, in which the driver can change gears in an instant using paddles on the steering wheel. Launch Control manages engagement of the clutch for maximum acceleration. The rear-biased quattro permanent all-wheel drive system transfers power to the road with supreme ease. Together with the locking differential on the rear axle, it provides significantly greater traction, stability, cornering speed and precision.

Motorsport technology can also be found in the chassis of the Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro. There are double triangular wishbones made of aluminum at all four wheels, and the hydraulic rack-and-pinion power steering conveys highly-precise road feel. The standard suspension includes the high-end Audi magnetic ride technology, in which the shock absorbers adjust their response to the road conditions and the driver's style within milliseconds. A sports suspension with conventional shock absorbers is available as an option.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro rolls on 19-inch wheels shod up front with 235/35 tires and 295/30 tires in the rear. The four brake discs are internally ventilated and perforated, and are gripped by a total of 24 calipers. Optionally available from Audi are large carbon fiber-ceramic discs that are lightweight, robust and long-lived. The ESP stabilization system has a Sport mode and can also be completely deactivated.

Comfortable: interior, equipment and trim
The open-top two-seater features a generously spacious interior. The ring of the leather-wrapped, multifunction sports steering wheel is flattened at the bottom, and the power seats guide and support the body perfectly. Quality of fit and finish is extraordinary; the controls are clear and logical; and the driver information system includes a lap timer. The rear bulkhead includes a storage compartment with three bins, and the luggage compartment at the front of the car can hold 100 liters of luggage.

Equipment highlights include an excellent sound system from Bang & Olufsen, deluxe automatic air conditioning and heated seats. The leather seat coverings are specially pigmented to reduce heating as a result of the sun's rays. The standard navigation plus system with MMI control logic features impressively high resolution and fast route calculation.

Also included standard in the Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro are the all-LED headlights - light-emitting diodes are used for the low beams, the high beams, the daytime running lights and the turn signals. The LED headlights not only look like technological works of art, they also offer substantial practical advantages with their excellent light distribution, long service life and extremely low energy consumption.

Available as a standard on the new R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro is the innovative seatbelt microphone for the hands-free unit, which makes it possible to make telephone calls even with the top down on the highway. Integrated into each of the two belts are three small microphones; a fourth is mounted on the windshield frame.