Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Audi Service and Repair Redwood City - History of the Audi R8 - Bosch European Redwood City 650-368-3000


2009 Audi R8



The R8's Racing Heritage:

Though it seemed like the Audi R8 came thundering out of nowhere, it has a solid racing history in prototype form. The Audi R8 prototype won the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans five times: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. If that's not enough "Vorsprung durch Technik," or advancement through technology, for you, R8 prototypes took first, second, and third place in the legendary French race twice. Besides being fast enough to win with handling to take on the famed curves of the Le Mans route, engineers had to design a car that could last the length of the race and an interior that would allow drivers to last, too.

The Paris Debut:

When Audi decided to bring its race winner to the people, it debuted its R8 concept at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. The car had a new-for-Audi mid-engine structure, with the V8 mounted close behind the cockpit. It was as if Audi took its rounded, sloping silhouette and pumped it full of steroids. Most noticeable were the carbon-fiber "blades" that covered the air intakes just behind the doors. In later editions of the car with larger engines, these blades would grow to provide more air.

The Engine:

The engine is placed behind the seats and in front of the rear axle, as it would be in a race car. The 4.2-liter direct-injected V8 has 420 hp packed inside and 317 ft-lbs of torque. The remarkable thing about the torque curve is that 90% of the maximum can be maintained from 3,500 to 7,600 rpm, though its peak is at 4,500 rpm. All-wheel drive adds stability, while a six-speed transmission links it all together. All of this adds up to a top speed of 187 mph and a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds.

The Interior :

The Audi R8 is all about the driver, from the angle of the instrument clusters to the flat-bottomed steering wheel for easy entry and exit. Interior colors are dark to echo the functional look of the race car, and ergonomics come straight from 24 hours at the track to you. Leather or leather and Alcantara are used throughout. The official word from Audi is that two golf bags fit behind the seats, but a large duffel bag or two is really all that can be wedged back there. There is a bit of space in the front for a luggage compartment, though, since the engine rides in the rear.

Extras and Options:

The headlights of the R8 are pure Audi, with LED eyeliner rimming their sweeping shape. (The R8 V10 will be the first production vehicle with all-LED headlights.) The aluminum chassis sits on standard 19" wheels, and the stereo is satellite-ready. The carbon-fiber side blades can be ordered in body color or Oxygen Silver, depending on whether you want to blend in or stand out (as if there's a choice when you're in an R8). An acoustic parking system and rear-view backup camera are optional, as is a custom Bang & Olufsen 12-speaker system with a vehicle-noise compensation system to adjust the volume automatically.

Audi R8 V10 Variation:

At the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, the Audi R8 V10 made its debut in a cloud of smoke, just like the bright-red rock star it is. While little upgrades have been made to the exterior -- including all-LED headlights and larger side intakes to cool the engine -- the real difference is in the additional two cylinders. They add 105 hp (for a total of 525), which brings the top speed nearer to 200 mph and the 0-60 time under 4 seconds. Even with those few external changes, the R8 V10 still earned the EyesOn Design award for production vehicles in Detroit.

Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro:

The convertible R8 debuted, after much rumor, anticipation, and even a few photos leaked to the Internet, at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The drop-top Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro is only available with the larger V10 engine; the original V8 will remain a coupe only. Still, with the fully automatic cloth top up or down, the 0-60 mph time is only 4.1 seconds, and it has a top speed of 194 mph. The carbon fiber panels behind the doors have been removed in the Spyder, but a seatbelt microphone has been added. The seats are even covered in an infrared-reflecting material to keep them up to 68 degrees cooler.
source: http://exoticcars.about.com/od/guidedtours/p/AudiR8.htm
From Kristen Hall-Geilser

No comments:

Post a Comment