The car was exclusively designed, developed, and manufactured by Audi AG's private subsidiary company, Audi Sport GmbH (formerly quattro GmbH). The Audi R8 was inspired by the Lamborghini Gallardo, though the second generation is built using the Huracán platform. The fundamental construction of the Audi R8 is based on the Audi Space Frame and uses an aluminium monocoque. The car is built by Audi Sport GmbH in a newly renovated factory at Audi's 'aluminium site' at Neckarsulm in Germany. When introduced in 2006, the Audi R8 became the first production car with full-LED headlamps.
To produce the Audi R8 at Audi Sport GmbH, 70 workers fit 5,000 different parts by hand. The factory at Neckarsulm, redeveloped at a cost of €28 million, usually produces between eight and fifteen cars a day, with a maximum daily output of 29 cars.
The Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car (designed by Frank Lamberty and Julian Hoenig), first appeared at the 2003 International Geneva Motor Show and the 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The Audi R8 road car was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006. Initial models included the R8 4.2 FSI coupé (with a V8 engine) and R8 5.2 FSI coupé (with a V10 engine). Convertible models, called the Spyder, were introduced in 2008, followed by the high-performance GT model in 2011. Motorsport variants of the Audi R8 were also introduced from 2008 onwards. An all-electric version called the e-Tron started development but would only reach production with the second generation model.
6-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx described the Audi R8 as "the best handling road car today". The car received a facelift in 2012, and a new model called the V10 Plus was added to the range. Production of the Type 42 ended in August 2015.
The second generation of the Audi R8 (model code: Type 4S) was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and is based on the Modular Sports System platform shared with the Lamborghini Huracán. The development of the Type 4S commenced in late 2013 and was completed in late 2014. Initial models included the all-electric e-Tron and the V10 5.2 FSI along with the V10 plus. Unlike its predecessor, there was no manual transmission available, and the entry-level V8 trim was dropped. In 2016, the convertible (Spyder) variant was added, initially available in the base V10 trim. In mid-2017, the high-performance V10 plus Spyder was added to the range. A rear-wheel-drive model called the R8 RWS was introduced.
In 2017, Audi introduced the R8 V10 plus "Exclusive Edition", a limited production run of 25 units exclusively for the United States market. This model was the first Audi production vehicle in the United States to feature laser headlight technology. The Exclusive Edition is distinguished by a Quantum Gray exterior paint finish, a Titanium Black-optic exterior package, and a Solar Orange accent stripe on the carbon fiber sideblades. The interior features a "Black/Signal Orange" leather package, a diamond-tufted Alcantara headliner, and illuminated carbon matte door sills inscribed with "one of 25."
In 2018, the Audi R8 received a mid-cycle refresh with mechanical and exterior changes. The refreshed model had substantial performance improvements. The base Audi R8 received a power boost from 532 hp to 562 hp, while the V10 Plus was renamed V10 Performance Quattro, and its engine saw a power increase by 10 hp (7 kW), now up to 612 hp. The 2023 R8 GT is the last Audi R8 with 620 hp, limited to 333 units.
The Audi R8 e-tron (2015) was an all-electric version of the second-generation Audi R8. It entered production on a small scale, with less than 100 units sold, and featured a 92-kWh battery.
The Audi R8 became the personal vehicle for Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) throughout six films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Type 42 models were used in the Iron Man Trilogy with a V8 in Iron Man, a V10 Spyder in Iron Man 2, and an e-tron prototype in Iron Man 3. Type 4S models appeared in later Marvel Studios movies with 2016 V10 Plus models in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War, and a Spyder model in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
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