Who would have thought the acquisition Audi made of Lamborghini in 1998 would benefit Audi as much as it has?
The partnership gave Ingolstadt the V10 engine that powered the RS6 and the S8 (until recent pressures to switch to a twin-turbo V8), and it gave Audi the underpinnings for the R8, which has since grown into two different versions: the convertible and the R8 GT, which later lead to the crême-de-la-crême R8 GT Spyder,
Not only did the Spyder inherit its Italian cousins’ hard-core, tire-burning attitude, it picked up the Lamborghini price tag as well. Audi USA recently announced the sticker price for the exclusive roadster at $210,000, and that doesn’t even include the $1,200 destination charge taxes or optional equipment like carbon-ceramic brakes or Bang & Olufsen sound system.
It’s a steep price, but if you’ve got the cash to burn, don’t waste time hesitating. Only 333 were built and only 50 were earmarked for the U.S., so they’re bound to go fast (pun intended).
Source: Autoblog
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