2011 Audi R8 GT

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The R8 high-performance sports car has been a winner from the very beginning. This applies to both the production models, winners of the "World Performance Car" Award in 2008 (R8) and in 2010 (R8 V10), and to the race car, the R8 LMS, which won 23 races in its first season and claimed three championships. The genes of the race version are now coming to the street - in the R8 GT. The exclusive series is limited to 333 units. Each R8 GT has a badge with its production number on the shift lever knob.

Lightweight Construction is Used Consistently on the Audi R8 RS

The production R8 5.2 FSI quattro is already a shining example of the Audi's lightweight construction philosophy. Its aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) body weighs only 463 lbs. The aluminum body panels are joined to the frame of extruded profiles and cast nodes by means of positive and friction connections. The engine frame is made of ultra lightweight magnesium.

The ASF body is largely hand-built at the Neckarsulm plant in a complex manufacturing process. The extremely high strength of the body is the basis for the high-performance sports car's precise handling, and it also offers good vibration comfort and first-rate crash safety.

Thanks to the ASF body, the production R8 5.2 FSI quattro weighs only 3,583 lbs - with quattro permanent all-wheel drive and optional R tronic transmission. This made it all the more difficult for the engineers to once again achieve substantial weight savings. They took an elaborate approach involving every aspect of the vehicle, and in the end the scales came to rest at 3,362 lbs.

The windshield of the R8 GT is made of thinner glass; the bulkhead between the passenger cell and engine compartment, as well as the window in the rear hatch are made of strong, lightweight polycarbonate. These three modifications saved 20 lbs. The fixed rear wing is good for an additional 2.65 lbs; thinner sheet metal and additional cutouts shaved 5.73 lbs from the aluminum hatch over the 3.53 cu-ft luggage compartment at the front of the car.

The long rear hatch is made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) - an advantage of 14.55 lbs. The rear bumper and the sideblades of this same material save an additional 11.46 and 3.31 lbs, respectively. With its minimal weight and extremely high strength, CFRP is the ideal material for a high-performance sports car, and Audi has broad-based expertise in its use.

Audi R8 GT: Review (2/2)