We are, unfortunately, living in a time of down sizing. When you buy an exclusive sedan or even a high-performance car, it is very likely that you will find only six-cylinders under the hood, attached to at least one, but probably two turbos. Not with the 2017 R8 Spyder, as Audi even fits the base version with a naturally aspired V10!
Yes, that makes this car indeed a true character, a car for people who love to drive, who love to tame a car, and who are not looking for a car that is everything, and because of this nothing, at the same time. The new R8 Spyder is a thrill seeker, with an 8.500 rpm red line, and a roar that you will appreciate more than your neighbors. To give you an idea of how brutal the new R8 Spyder is: the previous, 2014, version had a base engine which provided you with 430 hp. Now you get 110 hp more, at 540 hp, with only an 11-pound increase in weight. The V10 Plus is even more brutal, giving you 610 hp!
0-60 mph in the standard version should be done in about 3.3 seconds, but it is the way you get there in this mid-engine super car that is so spectacular! It is a car that wants to drive as much as you do. It also helps that the seven-speed twin-clutch transmission is a delight and that the all-wheel-drive system standard puts most power to the rear wheels. With all the driving controls clustered in Audi‘s virtual cockpit, there is no central screen. This gives the car a very old school look in relation to the interior, and with a sports car, I especially appreciate that, because then all the senses can be channeled to one thing, and one thing only, to drive like the wind!
