Audi is cheering up the car-enthusiast populous–especially those with the winter blues–by showing the world (albeit unintentionally) the few first glimpses of its newest R8 supercar around the notorious Nürburgring track.
The beautifully executed R8 has had a wonderful run for the past seven years, giving many a Ferrari engineer an inescapable headache. But like all good things, they must eventually come to an end–just like the Lamborghini Gallardo that is being retired in favor of the Huracán model, so too goes our beloved R8, which is strongly expected to share a platform with its Italian cousin.
As could be expected, thorough changes are being planned for Audi’s home-grown supercar. The basic proportions of the outgoing R8 should remain, but the exterior sheetmetal will evolve in a way similar to that of Audi’s latest TT coupe, with an emphasis on sharply defined lines and more angular accents. Also with this new platform comes a reduction in weight, losing some 100-200 pounds in the process, accredited mostly to an increased use of exotic light-weight materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum.
While that sounds great, most of us automotive enthusiasts are interested in something a little bit more important: horsepower. Underneath the low-slung hood of the R8 could be any number of engines from the four-ringed RS division: the current R8’s 4.2L naturally aspirated V8, the torque-heavy twin-turbo V8 from the beautiful RS7, and the exclusive V10 edition. Likely mated to those powerplants should be a DIY stick shift with six or more forward cogs, or Audi’s lightning-quick seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Interior shots are not yet available, but if Audi tradition is any indication, one can expect a refreshingly Spartan cabin that highlights Audi’s penchant for jewel-like detail.
No official word yet when Audi will fully reveal the next R8 to the public, but with this generation of R8 growing stale in a crowd full of new faces, one can hope to see the worldwide debut at Geneva 2015, if not sooner.
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