Tuesday 10th May 2016

Audi R8 Plus 'selection 24h'

Audi cashes in on R8 racing success with roadgoing limited edition

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Would you like to guess how many national and international race victories the Audi R8 LMS has achieved in both its generations since 2009? Nope, that's wrong. It's 323. Three hundred and twenty three! To mark this, plus to commemorate a year since the new car's debut (and win) at the Nurburgring 24-hour, Audi has created the 'selection 24h' R8 special edition.

As the name implies, there will be just 24 of these R8s produced. It's mechanically identical to an R8 V10 Plus, but then 610hp should be more than sufficient for living out your GT3 racing driver dreams.

As standard, the 24h edition will get the dynamic steering, magnetic ride and laser lighting that are optional on the regular R8. All 24 will be painted in Suzuka Grey with Mythos Black and Misano Red highlights, to make it look like a real racing car.

It also wouldn't be like a real racing car without some carbon fibre, so the special edition car has the shiny black stuff adorning the mirrors, rear wing, diffuser and sideblades. There's more inside too, plus 'R8 24h' logos and illuminated carbon sills with the serial numbers. Classy. There are also entry lights on the doors projecting the R8 logo. If you're a regular R8 customer and terribly jealous of this, Audi exclusive will soon be offering further personalisation with "a near unlimited range of lettering and logos" to illuminate the floor.

The R8 selection 24h will make its debut at - you've guessed it - the Nurburgring 24-hour in a couple of weeks. Orders are being taken from today though, at a price of 229,000 euros (£180,000). UK availability is TBC, but clearly there won't be many if we get them at all. Form an orderly queue R8 fans!

[dlockhart]

Those chrome teeth are awful, apart from that I really like it

[Reavenger]

Looks good. Not really special but good enough.

"All 24 will be painted in Suzuka Grey with Mythos Black and Misano Red highlights" - Car in pictures is white though?

[cybersimon]

It's not a Lipizzaner so of course it's a grey.

[Vitorio]

Interesting that they would make a 24h ('ring) edition of a car named after another 24h winning race car

Either way, cool stuff, im just still sad the V8 version is dead.

[Gary29]

Just never really liked the look of these, they look a lot better in the metal, but they just don't do it for me.

GT3 car sounds amazing though.

I just don't 'want' one.

[Dave Hedgehog]

jubus 180k for an audi, i know the R8 is good but you would have to be the worlds biggest fan boi to spend that much and not get a lambo/mclaren/fezza instead

[British Beef]

Dave Hedgehog said:

jubus 180k for an audi, i know the R8 is good but you would have to be the worlds biggest fan boi to spend that much and not get a lambo/mclaren/fezza instead

Indeed, I was thinking the same. McLaren makes some very nice offerings for this ballpark price.

Even if I had a few million to throw on cars, the only Audi that would make my (imaginary) collection is the 80s Quattro, still my favorite Audi!

[Porsche911R]

"the 24h edition will get the dynamic steering"

o well that's me out then !!!

[Zad]

Is it just me, or are the R8 and TTRS gradually mutating towards a single design?

[sidesauce]

dlockhart said:

Those chrome teeth are awful, apart from that I really like it

What you think is chrome is in fact very very shiny carbon. I think.

[MrBarry123]

Dave Hedgehog said:

jubus 180k for an audi, i know the R8 is good but you would have to be the worlds biggest fan boi to spend that much and not get a lambo/mclaren/fezza instead

Having had a nosey around the one in my local dealer, I'm of the opinion it more than holds its own against the competition - fantastic thing (both inside and out).

Edited by MrBarry123 on Tuesday 10th May 16:22

[HighwayStar]

Reavenger said:

Looks good. Not really special but good enough.

"All 24 will be painted in Suzuka Grey with Mythos Black and Misano Red highlights" - Car in pictures is white though?

The white you're speaking of is Suzuka Grey. Stick that next to a white car and you'll see the difference.

[Ozzie Osmond]

British Beef said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

jubus 180k for an audi, i know the R8 is good but you would have to be the worlds biggest fan boi to spend that much and not get a lambo/mclaren/fezza instead

Indeed, I was thinking the same. McLaren makes some very nice offerings for this ballpark price.

Yup, the McLaren would get my money any day of the week.

To my eye the Audi TT has 90% of the looks and 90% of the performance for 30% of the price.

[jakesmith]

fking hell I loved the mark 1 - can they make the R8 any uglier though, just keep sticking st onto it

[HighwayStar]

jakesmith said:

fking hell I loved the mark 1 - can they make the R8 any uglier though, just keep sticking st onto it

Totally agree. I wasn't a massive fan of the mk1 but it had something about it. The mk2 though, I think Audi really dropped the ball with the styling. It just looks clumsy, awkward. And those who say, but it's got an NA V10... that's like saying she doesn't look great but trust me, she'll make you're toes curl. Most would take a pass on that.

[PetrolAholic]

Reavenger said:

Looks good. Not really special but good enough.

"All 24 will be painted in Suzuka Grey with Mythos Black and Misano Red highlights" - Car in pictures is white though?

Suzuka Grey, if my memory serves me right is actually a pearl White, it has a (I THINK???) grey fleck in the paintwork, hence the grey.

Photos never look right and always look white, you need to see one in the flesh to appreciate it. It's such a lovely colour.

[J4CKO]

Ozzie Osmond said:

British Beef said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

jubus 180k for an audi, i know the R8 is good but you would have to be the worlds biggest fan boi to spend that much and not get a lambo/mclaren/fezza instead

Indeed, I was thinking the same. McLaren makes some very nice offerings for this ballpark price.

Yup, the McLaren would get my money any day of the week.

To my eye the Audi TT has 90% of the looks and 90% of the performance for 30% of the price.

90 percent of the performance, I suppose the TTRS accelerates pretty quickly but it is a fair way off compared to a V10 with 240 bhp more, it would get annihilated, a TTRS realistically, in bare performance figures is on par with the "slow" first gen V8 R8 at just under 10 secs to 100 mph, but performance figures miss the point, its an Aluminium mid engined supercar with double the cylinder count, ok, 3 more for the V8.

I know the TTRS owners will be in to defend it and reel off Vbox figures that prove their TTRS is "better" but it isnt, its a smidge more accelerative as standard and quicker again when fiddled with but then its a different ballgame entirely, getting a package as opposed to Top Trumps, if anything the V8 R8 I drove, I expected not to like it but even though low down it did feel fairly gutless, I would take one over a TTRS every day even though you just know that every time you take it out you would be just waiting for that TTRS or Golf R in the mirror to "embarrass" you.

I love TT's as a rule and the TTRS is massively impressive but 90 percent of an R8, nah.

[Civpilot]

MrBarry123 said:

Having had a nosey around the one in my local dealer, I'm of the opinion it more than holds its own against the competition - fantastic thing (both inside and out).

Your not wrong there, the R8 really is a stunning thing in the metal/carbon.

However, I was at Dunsfold having a look at one and a McLaren 12C pulled up next to it and parked.... the R8 (as good as it looked inside and out) just vanished. It was just no longer 'special'... and this was when it was compared to just an 'old' 12c, compared to the more recent McLaren offerings (and obviously the Ferrari/Lambo choices) £180K is one hell of a price for an R8.

That being said I am sure every one will sell with ease.

ps. Given a choice between an R8 or 911 Turbo.... R8 all day long. However if I really had the money to spend myself the R8 would not get a look in against the 'big three' no matter how many race wins it has (and McLaren would win that fight for me)

[toppstuff]

Call yourselves car enthusiasts?

Come on !!

Several posts in and already people are saying "Its just an Audi" and "why would you have one of these over a Ferrari/Mclaren etc etc..".

There is one simple reason why anyone would be 100% correct to consider this car as at least equal and in some respects massively more desirable than, say , a McLaren 570 - A normally aspirated 610 bhp motor for gods sake !!

Some people won't care that the R8 is perhaps the last bastion of normally aspirated, hulking big high-revving motors. Well I do !

Much as I am a fan of Mclarens work - the engine on the R8 is simply a vastly more entertaining thing than any McLaren turbo lump. It just is.

If you guys can't see the value of the motor in the R8 ( and why therefore anyone could easily justify this car over any of the competition on this reason alone ) then I am sorry for you. The engine makes this car. Lets celebrate the engine !!

[TP321]

In profile this new R8 looks too much like the new TT. Anyone else see this?