It should come as no surprise that while in search for a little differentiation for its R8 lineup, Audi decided to develop a special edition model that ditched one of its most important claims to fame: the quattro all-wheel-drive system. And so there it was at the Frankfurt Motor Show for all the world to see. The limited edition Audi R8 officially goes by the name R8 V10 RWS, and according to Audi Sport CEO Stephan Winkelmann, it’s a model that Audi developed specifically for purists with an “appreciation for essential driving enjoyment.”
The special edition R8 V10 is limited to just 999 units and each one of them will ditch the automaker’s famous quattro AWD system in favor of rear-wheel drive. That’s the car’s claim to fame, above all else, and it’s a claim that no other variant of the current-generation Audi R8 has. Beyond the RWD offering, the R8 V10 also features a good amount of exterior and interior changes, as well as significant modifications to its chassis and suspension to accommodate the rear-wheel drive set-up. If it’s hard to imagine what an RWD Audi R8 is all about, think of it as a lighter version of the standard R8 that’s been tuned specifically to put more control of the car in the driver’s hands. Think drifting in an AWD R8 is cool? Well, imagine what you can do with an R8 that sends all of its power in the rear wheels. This is what the Audi R8 V10 RWS is offering, among other things. Better be quick though because only 999 units will be made. Miss out on one and you're once again staring at the aftermarket tuning scene to get your rear-wheel drive R8 fix.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
- Make: Array
- Model: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
- Engine/Motor: V10
- Horsepower: 540
- Torque: 399
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Exterior
On the surface, the Audi R8 V10 RWS still looks like an Audi R8 V10. There are no significant physical transformations that make it look any different from other versions of the R8 that are in the market right now. But just because it’s still an R8 at its core, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be packaged differently. Exclusive styling cues define the R8 V10 RWS as a special edition model, including the matte black grille, matte black air apertures at the front and rear, and a gloss black upper side blade that’s exclusive to the coupe version of the R8 V10 RWS variant. The most prominent exterior feature though is the red racing stripe that runs from the hood of the car all to the way to the rear end. The lucky 999 customers who manage to get their hands on the R8 V10 RWS will have the option of getting their sports cars with or without these stripes.
How does it compare to other recent Audi special editions?
Note: photo of the Audi R8 Audi Sport Edition
Truth be told, the biggest selling point of the R8 V10 RWS isn’t in its physical characteristics so you can excuse it for looking pedestrian compared to other recent special edition versions of the sports car. It certainly doesn’t look as provocative as the R8 Audi Sport Edition, a special edition model launched in April 2017 to celebrate the success of the Audi R8 LMS race car. That SE model featured not one, not two, but three different exterior colors (red, silver, and black) a nod to the traditional colors used by Aud’s racing division. Those who bought the 200-unit R8 Audi Sport Edition had a choice of dressing the sports car up in Floret, Silver, Mythos Black, or Ibis Silver. Regardless of the color, all 200 units of the SE sports car came with side blades, hurter window covers, and mirror caps dressed in Brilliant Red. Likewise, titanium black was used as the color of choice on the front spoiler, single-frame grille, and the rear diffuser insert.
From a head-to-head standpoint, the R8 Audi Sport Edition looks more pleasing to the eyes than the R8 V10 RWS. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so I wouldn’t begrudge anyone who finds more appeal in the cleaner-looking, rear-wheel drive R8 V10.
Interior
You should be happy to know that while the interior of the R8 V10 RWS is still standard R8, it did receive some fancy new digs in the form of leather- and Alcantara-covered sports seats. Even better, there is an option to remove the standard seats for bucket seats since the latter comes as an option. And to give it a true exclusive touch, the special edition R8 V10 will come with a numbered “# of 999” emblem on the dashboard signifying its status as a legitimate limited edition model.
By comparison, the previously mentioned R8 Audi Sport Edition also came with its own dose of exclusive interior goodies. Chief among them is a similar leather treatment on the sports seats, specifically the use of black and Express Red Nappa leather. That’s on top of the door panels also getting wrapped in the same leather feature. Dark silver stitching also appears in the cabin of the R8 Audi Sport Edition, specifically on the steering wheel, door trim, and seats. Same with the gloss carbon inlays, which can be found on the dashboard, A/C vents, and center console. Then there’s the flat-bottom steering wheel, which itself is special enough without even mentioning the race-specific 12 o’clock stripe that it comes with. Last but certainly not least is its signifier: a # of 200” inscription doing on the aluminum door sill inlays.
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Audi R8 V10 RWS |
Once more, the R8 Audi Sport Edition appears to have the leg-up in terms of exclusive interior features. The R8 V10 RWS does hold its own in this category so that’s a notch in its belt, too.
Drivetrain
Given its new driving configuration, you would think that Audi made some slight tweaks and tunes to the R8 V10’s naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 engine. Unfortunately, that’s not the case because power for the R8 V10 RWS still maxes out at 540 horsepower and 399 pound-feet of torque. It’s a little disappointing, sure, but it’s not like the sports car is a slouch with those figures. It’s still capable of accelerating from a standstill position to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and 3.8 seconds in the case of the Spyder. Likewise, the top speed still goes up to a tidy 199 mph for the Coupe model and 198 mph for the Spyder.
Chassis and Suspension
Here’s where the good part comes in. Since the R8 is rear-wheel drive, Audi was able to cut the sports car’s weight to just 1,590 kilos (3,505 pounds) by eliminating components like the propshaft, multi-plate clutch, and center differential, all of which are used specifically with an all-wheel drive. The result is a car that’s 50 kilos (110.2 pounds) lighter than the all-wheel-drive R8 Coupe. It’s the same story with the Spyder version of the special edition sports car as it now weighs just 1,680 kilos (3,704 pounds), 40 kilos (88.2 pounds) lighter than the all-wheel-drive R8 Spyder.
The work that was put into improving the R8 V10 RWS’ chassis and suspension goes to show how far Audi is willing to go to give its customers a car that’s worthy of its name and billing. Even something as seemingly innocuous as the axle load distribution was tinkered with to give weight to Audi Sport CEO Stephan Winkelman’s claim that the R8 V10 RWS “is made for purists.” Take the axle load distribution for both examples. Audi specifically adjusted the ratio between the front and rear axles to 40.6:59.4 on the Coupe and 40.4:59.6 on the Spyder so that both models can adapt its rear-wheel drive setup and translate it into the kind of driving experience that maximizes every technical and mechanical element of the sports car.
Prices
You’ve probably inferred by now that the Audi R8 V-10 RWS is available in either coupe or convertible variants. For now, availability appears to be limited to just the German market and other European countries. That said, the R8 V-10 RWS is priced at €140,000 ($167,200) while the Spyder version retails for €153,000 ($182,700). The special edition R8 will become available in the next few months. Those lucky enough to get their hands on one of the 999 units should expect their cars to arrive sometime in the start of 2018.
Competition
Porsche 911 Turbo
It's hard to imagine a more fun race than seeing the Audi R8 V-10 RWS square up against the Porsche 911 Turbo. Neither are considered the fastest and most powerful sports cars in the world, but from a pure driving perspective, these two sports cars are a notch above the rest. The 911 Turbo, in particular, can hit 580 horsepower in its "S" variant. That's good enough to propel the sports car to a 0-60-mph-time of 2.9 seconds on its way to hitting a top speed of 200 mph.
Read our full review on the Porsche 911 Turbo.
Conclusion
There's really not much to say here other than "thank you, Audi." This is not a dig on the AWD R8 because the German automaker is one of the best automakers when it comes to developing AWD systems with its legendary quattro.
That said, it is refreshing to see Audi listen to calls for a rear-wheel drive R8 and actually do something about it. It's been a long wait for an RWD R8 to arrive. It's here now and while I am disappointed that it's going to be a limited-run model with no status of it heading to the U.S., I am happy to see Audi come through on its word of giving customers want they want.
References
Audi R8
Read our full review on the Audi R8.