Audi has revealed its fastest-ever road car – the 199mph, 552bhp R8 GT.
Just 33 R8 GTs are heading to the UK, out of a global production run of 333 and at a price of £142,585 (£38,775 more than the ‘standard’ V10).
While the R8 GT only gains 34bhp and 7lb ft of torque, Audi has shaved 100kg from the R8’s kerb weight, resulting in an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 362bhp per ton. The power is channelled via the R-tronic automated manual transmission (no manual option is available), and is enough to catapult the flyweight R8 to 62mph in just 3.6secs (an improvement of 0.3secs) and on to 124mph in a mere 10.8secs.
The weight-saving programme, inspired by the R8 LMS GT3 racer, involves cutting mass from mechanical, interior and bodywork components. Bodywork tweaks include 9kg shaved from a thinner windscreen, 6.6kg saved by using carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the rear ‘bonnet’, while a CFRP rear bumper cuts 5.2kg and a fixed rear wing drops the weight by 1.2kg.
Inside there are various tweaks, most impressive of which are lightweight carpeting (-7.9kg) and GRP bucket seats (-31.5kg).
The technical components of the R8 GT have not been ignored either. The brake system shaves off 1kg, the aluminium caps of the brake discs 4kg, the battery is 9.4kg lighter, and 2.3kg have been cut from the air intake module.
There are chassis tweaks, too. The R8 GT’s hydraulic, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering has a more direct ratio, while a manually adjustable coilover suspension, which lowers the body by as much as 10 millimetres, is also standard, and higher front and rear wheel camber rates also help to boost agility.
The ESP has been specifically tuned to the R8 GT and can be switched into a Sport mode that allows a degree of oversteer when accelerating out of a corner.
Carbon fibre ceramic brake discs with GT-exclusive red callipers will be fitted as standard.
The first cars will be delivered to customers in spring 2011.