Thermal sports stars bid farewell against a backdrop of an electric tidal wave. The V12s and other V8s disappear here and there, the Muscle Cars will ionize and the thermal R8 also ceases its career.
A Le Mans car name, a successful design
Audi had presented the Le Mans Quattro concept in 2003, in order to build on the emblematic victories of the R8 prototype at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2000 and 2002. Finally, it was not until 2006 that the first generation started production, which brought Audi in the very closed circle of supercar manufacturers.
The design of the Audi R8 will ultimately have changed very little, with a plunging and short front bonnet, a muscular and very domed rear, with its large air vents on the side giving it the look of a fighter plane. The R8 married the modern with nods to Auto Union, like the Nuvolari concept. Over time, the look became meaner, the carbon aerodynamic additions appeared, but the mouth of the mid-engined 2-seater coupe kept its personality.
Taking the name of the Le Mans prototype, the road-going R8 was the first mid-rear-engined sports car from the Ingolstadt manufacturer and its ambition was to draw the quintessence of all the know-how acquired by Audi in competition, from the era of Group B until the Le Mans triumphs. Audi opened for the occasion a new special production area in Neckarsulm, in which the assembly processes were of a meticulousness pushed to its climax.
Sharing the chassis of the Lamborghini Gallardo, the R8 had nevertheless been developed for less extreme, more homogeneous use and it initially featured a 414 horsepower 4.2 Liter FSI Quattro V8, which was deemed somewhat insufficient. But from 2008, arrived the 5.2 V10, which increased the R8 to 520 horsepower. The Spider versions followed and the GT in 2011, which peaked at 560 horsepower.
A more aggressive 2nd generation
Audi renews its R8 in 2015, with more aggressive lines and only the V10 now offering either 540 or 610 hp. The R8 will also imitate the Huracan by offering a RWD propulsion version and even in 2015 a 100% electric e-tron version which was nevertheless billed at 1 million euros and did not find its audience, probably too ahead of its time and well too expensive. The R8 bid a commercial farewell with an ultimate Performance RWD version this year, featuring the 5.2-litre, fully aspirated, 570-hp, rear-wheel-drive ten-cylinder engine.
queen of circuits
The Audi R8 has also marked the history of motorsport, acquiring an exceptional track record in GT3 races: 6 victories at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring since 2012 (LMS Ultra and LMS GT3 version), 4 victories at the 24 hours of Spa, 6 ADAC GT Masters championships, as well as countless national and regional GT championships, in Bathurst, in DTM or even in IMSA.
For the moment, its heiress has not yet been announced, but it’s a safe bet that it will be electric, and will therefore no longer have much to do with this pure thermal supercar. In total, more than 40,000 copies have left since 2006.
