Audi Race Cars

Audi has announced in 2005 that the name of the successful R8 race cars will be used for a new road car in 2007, the R8, based on the Audi Le Mans, which was a concept car at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show.

The Audi R8 will be available in mid 2007 with a 4.2 litre V8 making 420-bhp, as seen in the RS4. A second, more powerful engine variant that uses the 520-bhp, 5.2 litre V10 as seen in the S8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo is rumored but not confirmed by Audi. The R8 has a dry weight of 3200 pounds. A 0 - 60 time of about 4.2 seconds is possible with a top speed of about 180 mph. Audi is currently in the process of developing a new 5.2 litre turbocharged V10 powerplant for the future RS6 and there is a possibility that this engine will make its way into the R8, dependent on marketing decisions. Test mules of this vehicle are developing well in excess of 600-bhp with the turbocharged 5.2 litre. If this were to happen it is almost certain that this would create an RS8. There is some confusion with the name which the car shares with the Le Mans winning R8 LMP. Originally, many thought the car would be called the R9 (as there is a gap in numbering left when Audi announced the R8's successor, the diesel powered R10).