Audi R8 GT RWD

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Alex Ingram

Alex _ Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram

AUDI has built a legend on its all-wheeldrive quattro technology. So when the brand pays louder than usual lip-service to rear-wheel-drive thrills, you know it’s going to be something out of the ordinary. In the case of the R8 GT supercar, it’s the company’s most powerful rear-driven model ever.

An exterior makeover takes inspiration from the first-generation R8 GT, with added GT3-racer touches, such as the new ‘swanneck’ rear wing. But, perhaps the most significant surface-level change inside is also the smallest. There’s a dial on the steering wheel with a little flag in its centre. This engages track mode, while the rotating dial around it allows the driver to use the new seven-stage ‘Torque Rear’ mode.

We’ll come on to the finer points later, but it’s designed to make the most of the engine sitting behind you. The R8’s heart is a 5.2-litre V10 rated at 612bhp. It’s joined by a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which shifts faster than ever, and its ratios are shorter to improve acceleration.

Not only is this the most powerful rearwheel-drive R8, but it’s also the lightest. The overall weight reduction is modest, but the 20kg saving is largely unsprung, courtesy of the striking 20-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. There’s also a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic front anti-roll bar and manually adjustable coilover suspension is an option.

That Torque Rear system is very effective on track, and we tried it on a wet circuit in southern Spain. We played with the settings on the damp, greasy surface, and in its most conservative setting, you can give the car pretty much full throttle out of a turn and the power is pegged back without any slip. At the other extreme, setting seven leaves it all to your right foot to keep the back end in check.

But it’s the mid settings where things get interesting. The rear tyres will start to slip, but you can control the level of intervention, allowing you to engage a slide and then hold it on full throttle fairly confidently.

The adjustable suspension, lighter wheels and extra downforce contribute to a car that’s not only raised its limits even further, but manages to inspire even more confidence at

Audi R8 GT

Performance

0-62mph/top speed 3.4 seconds/199mph

FIRSTDRIVE Limited edition is a fitting send off for V10 supercar

the same time. It’s approachable, because there aren’t many mid-engined cars at this level that leave you feeling so relaxed at the thought of powersliding on corner exit.

Brilliant though the chassis is, it’s still very hard to overlook that engine as the highlight. The R8’s V10 is arguably one of the greatest engines of all time, and here it makes the car faster than ever. The GT chalks off the 0-62mph dash in 3.4 seconds, 0-124mph in 10.1 seconds, and it’ll keep going to 199mph. The noise is glorious; rich and deep at low revs, transforming into a full-bodied howl towards its 8,700rpm red line. That it’s paired to a near-flawless dual clutch gearbox just makes it even more satisfying to use.

That gearbox is equally happy when shuffling around town, too. Having only ventured on track, we can’t comment on the ride, but the range of adjustability leaves us confident that it could be as compliant as the standard R8 in the right settings.

NEED TO KNOW

Limited to just 333 units worldwide, only 15 R8 GTs are coming to the UK