Audi R8 (road car)

The Audi R8(Typ 42)  is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German automaker Audi AG in 2006.

The car was exclusively designed, developed, and manufactured by Audi AG's high performance private subsidiary company,quattro GmbH, and is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform The fundamental construction of the R8 is based on theAudi Space Frame, and uses an aluminium monocoque which is built using space frame principles. The car is built by quattro GmbH in a newly renovated factory at Audi's 'aluminium site' at Neckarsulm in Germany.

In 2005, Audi announced that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car would be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car (designed by Frank Lamberty and Julian Hoenig), appearing at the 2003International Geneva Motor Show, and 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The R8 development program began in 2004, Lamberty's design being approved and frozen for production. Production body prototypes began field testing in January 2006. The R8 road car was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006. There was some confusion with the name, which the car shares with the 24 Hours of Le Mans winning R8 Le Mans Prototype (LMP). 6-time 24 Hours of Le Manswinner Jacky Ickx described the R8 as "the best handling road car today"

Audi R8 (road car)

Manufacturer	quattro GmbH[1] (a private subsidiary of Audi AG)
Production	June 2007–present, 9,945 built in the end of 2008[2][3]
Assembly	Neckarsulm, Germany
Class	Super car
Body style	2-door coupé (2007-) 2-door spyder (2009-)
Layout	Longitudinal mid-engine,[4] quattro permanent all-wheel drive[4]
Engine	4.2 L FSI V8, 2×DOHC; 5.2 L FSI V10, 2×DOHC[5]
Transmission	6-speed manual 6-speed R-Tronic 7-speed S-Tronic
Wheelbase	2,650 mm (104.3 in)[4]
Length	V8 Coupé: 4,431 mm (174.4 in),[4] V10 Coupé: 4,435 mm (174.6 in),[4] V10 Spyder: 4,434 mm (174.6 in)[4]
Width	V8 Coupé & V10 Spyder: 1,904 mm (75.0 in),[4] V10 Coupé: 1,930 mm (76.0 in)[4]
Height	V8 Coupé: 1,249 mm (49.2 in),[4] V10 Coupé: 1,252 mm (49.3 in),[4] V10 Spyder: 1,244 mm (49.0 in)[4]
Curb weight	V8 Coupé: 1,560–1,565 kg (3,439–3,450 lb),[4] V10 Coupé: 1,620–1,625 kg (3,571–3,583 lb),[4] V10 Spyder: 1,720–1,725 kg (3,792–3,803 lb)[4]
Related	Audi RSQ Audi Le Mans quattro(Concept) Audi R8 TDI Le Mans(Concept) Lamborghini Gallardo
Designer(s)	Frank Lamberty (2004)