Audi R8 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Audi R8 |
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Audi R8 V10 Plus (Type 4S)
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Audi (Audi Sport GmbH) |
| Production | June 2006 – March 2024 (45,949 Units) |
| Model years | 2007–2024 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car (S) |
| Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door convertible (spyder) |
| Layout | Longitudinal mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive / all-wheel-drive |
The Audi R8 is a super cool sports car made by the German company Audi. It's a two-seater, meaning it has room for two people, and it has its engine placed in the middle of the car. This design helps it handle really well! The R8 also uses Audi's special quattro system, which means power goes to all four wheels for amazing grip. Audi first showed off this car in 2006, and it was built until March 2024.
Contents
The Amazing Audi R8 Sports Car
The Audi R8 was specially designed and built by Audi Sport GmbH, which is a part of Audi that makes high-performance cars. This car was inspired by another famous sports car, the Lamborghini Gallardo. The second version of the R8 even shares its base with the Lamborghini Huracán.
The R8 is built using something called the Audi Space Frame. This means it has a very strong but light aluminum body, like a skeleton, which makes the car safe and fast. It was made in a special factory in Neckarsulm, Germany. When it first came out in 2006, the R8 was the first car ever to have headlights made entirely of LED headlamps!
The First Generation: A Legend Begins (2006-2015)
The idea for the Audi R8 came from a concept car called the Audi Le Mans quattro. This concept car was shown at big car shows in 2003. The actual R8 road car was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on September 30, 2006.
Early Models and Innovations
At first, there was a little confusion because the car shared its name with a famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race car, the R8 Le Mans Prototype. The first models included the R8 4.2 FSI coupé, which had a powerful V8 engine. Later, an even more powerful R8 5.2 FSI coupé came out with a V10 engine.
Audi also made convertible versions of the car, which they called the Spyder, starting in 2008. A super high-performance model, the GT, was introduced in 2011. Audi also created racing versions of the R8. They even started working on an all-electric version called the e-Tron, but this model only went into production with the second generation of the car.
Racing Success and Updates
A famous race car driver named Jacky Ickx, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times, once said the R8 was "the best handling road car today." This shows how amazing the car was to drive!
In 2012, the first generation R8 got a fresh new look and some updates. A new, even more powerful model called the V10 Plus was added. Production of this first generation R8 ended in August 2015.
The Second Generation: Evolution and Power (2015-2024)
The second version of the R8, known as the Type 4S, was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2015. This new R8 shared its advanced platform with the Lamborghini Huracán, making it even more high-tech.
New Platform and Electric Dreams
Development for this new R8 started in late 2013 and was finished by late 2014. The first models included the all-electric e-Tron, and the V10 5.2 FSI, along with the V10 plus. Unlike the first R8, this generation did not offer a manual gearbox, and the V8 engine option was removed.
In 2016, the convertible Spyder version was added again. By mid-2017, a super powerful V10 plus Spyder was also available. Audi even introduced a special model called the R8 RWS, which sent power only to the rear wheels.
Power Boosts and Final Editions
In 2018, the R8 received an update with changes to its mechanics and exterior design. It got a sharper, more aggressive look, inspired by classic Audi cars. This updated model also had much better performance. The standard R8's engine power increased from 532 horsepower to 562 horsepower. The V10 Plus model was renamed V10 Performance Quattro and its power went up to 612 horsepower.
The very last R8 model, the 2023 R8 GT, was a special edition with 620 horsepower. Only 333 of these cars were made, making them very rare!
The Audi R8 e-tron was an all-electric version of the second-generation R8. While an earlier electric prototype existed, this one actually went into production. However, only a small number were sold, less than 100 in total. It had a large 92-kWh battery.
How the Audi R8 is Built
Building an Audi R8 is a very detailed process. At the Audi Sport GmbH factory in Neckarsulm, about 70 skilled workers carefully put together 5,000 different parts by hand. The factory, which was updated for €28 million, usually makes between eight and fifteen cars each day. They can make up to 29 cars on their busiest days.
To make sure every car is perfect, 95 lasers scan the entire car in just five seconds. These lasers check over 220 measurements to ensure everything is within a tiny fraction of a millimeter of the design plans. This shows the incredible precision that goes into making each R8.
Audi R8 in Movies: A Star on Screen
The Audi R8 became famous in movies, especially as the personal car for Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr..
- In the Iron Man movie, a V8 R8 was used.
- In Iron Man 2, a V10 Spyder model appeared.
- An e-tron prototype was featured in Iron Man 3.
- Later, in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War, a 2016 V10 Plus R8 was seen.
- A Spyder model also appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
See also
In Spanish: Audi R8 para niños
- Lamborghini Huracán (built on same platform)
- Audi Le Mans quattro
- Audi S and RS models
- Lamborghini Gallardo (built on same platform)
