2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

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sirwilliam
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2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by sirwilliam »

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2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive
As with the R8 coupe, the Spyder feels right at home either cruising or dancing through corners.

By Patrick Hong

April 6, 2010


Nice, France—When you think of southern France, images of warm sunshine, sandy beaches and a beautiful coastline come to mind. So it was fitting that Audi chose this setting for journalists to experience the open-top version of the highly competent R8 sports car.

In turning the R8 into a convertible, Audi needed to make a few changes—the designers didn’t want to lose the R8’s unique styling, while the engineers were charged with retaining the coupe’s rigid chassis.

For starters, Audi gave the R8 Spyder a full LED headlight treatment. And while the sideblades just aft of the R8 coupe’s doors have been eliminated, in their place are more traditional vertical air intakes, which are perhaps even better looking. Also new is a carbon-fiber composite engine cover for the mid-mounted V-10, which features two parallel air vents that trail the seat headrests, forming a downward sloping profile toward the rear.

Underneath the R8 Spyder’s body is a strengthened version of the coupe’s aluminum space frame that shares about 70 percent of the parts. For the Spyder, reinforcements are made to the center tunnel, bulkhead, floorpan, doors and A-pillars. The extra rigidity comes via thicker materials, crossbeams and thrust plates. Yet despite the reinforcements, the Spyder’s chassis weighs just 13 lb. more than its fixed-roof sibling. Overall, it tips the scales at around 3800 lb.

The area behind the R8’s seats, where you normally could store a set of golf clubs, now serves as the resting spot for the Spyder’s well-insulated cloth roof. The 93-lb. top can be raised or lowered in 19 sec. with a simple toggle switch on the center console, at vehicle speeds up to 31 mph. Top up, road and wind noises are well damped. Top down, the heated glass rear window—which is separate from the top—can be operated via another button on the center console. Along with a snap-on wind deflector, the rear window helps keep turbulence out of the cockpit, facilitating easier conversation.

Speaking of reducing background noise, you can order optional seatbelt-mounted microphones (in addition to the one near the sun visors) used for the hands-free phoning while you’re enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. We were able to make some calls while driving the R8 Spyder along winding mountain roads and rowing through the gears with the engine revving aggressively. The person on the other end heard us clearly and noted only a hint of noise.

The Audi R8 Spyder is powered by the same 5.2-liter direct-injected V-10 as the coupe. The V-8 shall follow next year. As with the R8 coupe, the Spyder feels right at home either cruising or dancing through corners. The Quattro all-wheel-drive system combines with a limited-slip rear differential to inspire total confidence on challenging mountain roads. Top down, the chassis feels solid, responding to steering input with immediacy. Downshift a gear (with the standard 6-speed manual or the optional R tronic paddle-shift manual) and dip into the throttle—the engine’s 525 bhp and 391 lb.-ft. of torque are unleashed, accompanied by a throaty roar that makes an argument that the Spyder provides a more thrilling driving experience than the coupe. According to the factory, the R8 Spyder can accelerate to 60 mph in about 4 seconds, with a top speed of 195 mph.

Standard equipment on the R8 Spyder is Audi’s magnetic ride technology that features adjustable shock absorbers complementing its all-around double-wishbone suspension. For hard-core enthusiasts, conventional dampers can be ordered when you specify the optional sport suspension setup. Standard tire fitment for the Spyder calls for 235/35-19s up front and 295/30-19s at the rear. And, if so desired, carbon-ceramic rotors can be ordered to replace the 14.4-in. front discs and 14.0-in. rears.

The Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro arrives at U.S. dealers later this year as a 2011 model, priced in the $160,000 range.
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complacent
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Re: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by complacent »

ooooh, pretty!
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Re: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by Sabre »

Amazing how little weight it gained!
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Re: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by GaToR »

Sabre wrote:Amazing how little weight it gained!
GT car manufacturers are finding that center-of-gravity is 10x more important than absolute mass when it comes to cornering, so they don't rely on the 'shell' for chassis strength, only rollover protection.

This has the side-affect of not having to re-engineer the car so a convertible version can be made.


The 370Z, for example, they say they "had the convervible in mind all along" when they built the car.

I think that's marketing speak for "we put all the chassis bracing down low for lower force-transfer, and as a result, removing the roof didn't require any additional bracing on the floor."
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Re: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by zaxrex »

Another quotable write-up here.
This guys writing just nailed it for me. Here are some of my favs.
Chas Murphy said of the R8 V10 Spyder: "You have to drive the car. It can't be put into words." Well, we drove it and we can put it into words. Rather, we can put it into one word: unfair.

The ways in which the R8 V10 Spyder is unfair leave us a little melancholy. You see, as good as the R8 V10 Spyder is, when you look at it, what you behold is the dumbing down of driving civilization. On the upside, this particular kind of dumb is among the most rewarding, outstanding kinds of idiocy you could ever hope to achieve
While perusing the two rows of R8 V10 Spyders made available to the day's gathering, Andrew Lipman, Audi's East Coast PR manager, proffered the most beautiful words of the morning: "Would you like a manual?" Why yes, Mr. Lipman, we would. And we would also like to salute you...A Ferrari rep told Bloomberg that its 458 Italia had no chance of having a manual transmission because "The technology was too slow and outdated." Well listen to this, Ferrari: the technology behind making gelato is slow and outdated as well, but that doesn't mean they should only offer flavors that can be made in 300 milliseconds. :rolllaugh:
When the road really ramps up and takes an awful turn (correction: ramps up and takes a glorious turn of capricious and multifarious corners), it's only then that the R8 makes us dumb and sad and really, really happy.
Fourth gear is magical, keeping us thick in the action on everything from long straights down to tight-ish bends. In fourth, you're at 4,000 at about 65 mph, 5,000 rpm at about 80 mph and 7,000 rpm gets you to about 100. At that point, ]there remains 1,700 rpm in reserve and you still haven't run out of torque..."Could I clip the apex of this 30-mph corner at the Spyder's top speed of 195 mph?" No, you couldn't. But you can take that corner flat at 65 mph in fourth gear while autographing the apex for future admirers.
The Audi R8 has made canyon running so easy, and the Audi R8 V10 Spyder has made it look and feel so good, that it's pornographically indecent.
It is The Idiot's Guide to Driving a Supercar, and we mean that in the best way possible. Although it saddens us a little to close the door further on Ye Olde Supercar Experience, we'll happily wear the dunce cap and play the idiot in the R8 V10 Spyder, with nothing but the wind, third and fourth gear, and roads like Silly String to teach us a thing or two about what it's like to be dumb...
Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears
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Re: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by complacent »

But you can take that corner flat at 65 mph in fourth gear while autographing the apex for future admirers.
love it. :lol:
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Re: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by zaxrex »

See?
Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears
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Re: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by Sabre »

Indeed, great review :)
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Re: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder - First Drive

Post by ElZorro »

Don't tell the the British girl (Dee Bee Nyene), but I'm lusting after a German...
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