In photos: 2017 Audi R8 inside and out

globe drive

MATT BUBBERS

Portimao, portugal

Special to The Globe and Mail

Published July 24, 2015

The second-generation Audi R8 has, as before, a V-10 engine shared with the Lamborghini Huracan, its corporate cousin. Also in common is a new aluminum chassis that uses carbon-fibre as a structural component: for the transmission tunnel, the firewall behind the passengers, and the B-pillars. All told, the new R8 is 100 lbs lighter than before, and has about 15 or 50 horsepower more depending on whether you opt for the V10 model (533 hp) or the V10 Plus (602 hp). We’ve got the latter model on track, in the dark, accelerating through 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and on past 190 km/h like it’s running for its life. The sound isn’t as maniacal as the Lamborghini’s; it’s like they put a trumpet mute in the exhaust pipes. It’s almost serene. By the end of lap one, all fear of the dark is gone. By the end of lap two, you understand why the R8 is so special: it manages to feel at once exotic and approachable, a trick no other car in its class can pull off so well. And, did we mention that underneath the bodywork it’s basically the same as a Lamborghini Huracan? The Audi R8 V10 arrives in spring 2016, likely as a 2017 model. An all-electric R8 e-tron will follow later. Pricing and Canadian fuel economy have yet to be announced.

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