Audi R8 GT is the 5.2-liter V10's swan song
Audi is sending off its excellent 5.2-liter V10 engine with the limited-edition R8 GT. Powered by an evolution of the tried-and-true naturally-aspirated 10-cylinder, the commemorative coupe features rear-wheel-drive and a number of edition-specific details inside and out.
If the name rings a bell, it’s likely because this isn’t the first time the R8 gains the GT suffix. Travel back to the 2010 Paris auto show and you’ll find the original R8 GT basking under the lights on the Audi stand with more power and limited production numbers. Fast-forward to 2022 and the new model follows a similar formula. It receives a 602-horsepower V10, a 40-horse increase over the standard rear-wheel-drive R8 that brings the GT on the same level as the Quattro model. The engine spins only the rear wheels via a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission designed for faster shift times.
Rated at 413 pound-feet of torque, the V10 sends the R8 GT from 0 to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds, from 0 to 124 mph in 10.1 seconds, and on to 199 mph. Audi also added what it calls a Torque Rear mode that lets the driver choose more finely how much traction control assist is provided. More specifically, drivers can adjust it from one to seven; least slip to most slip.
The GT tips the scale at 3,461 pounds, meaning it’s around 44 pounds lighter than the regular rear-wheel-drive R8. Audi explains the measures taken to achieve this loss include fitting race car-style forged 20-inch wheels and including carbon-ceramic brakes as standard. Bucket seats and a front anti-roll bar made with carbon fiber-reinforced plastic reduce weight as well.
The outside of the GT stands out from the regular-production R8 with black exterior emblems, a Carbon Aerokit body kit that includes a front splitter, side skirts, a rear wing and a rear diffuser. And the interior is finished in black and red interior as a tribute to the original R8 GT. The finishing touch is found on the center console: every GT will wear its serial number on the piece of carbon fiber trim that frames the gear selector.
Audi will sell 333 units of the R8 GT globally, though there’s no word on how many will be earmarked for the United States. Deliveries will start in 2023. As for what’s next, your guess is as good as ours. It sounds like we won’t see a third-generation R8; at least not one powered by a mid-mounted V10. Some unofficial reports claim the model will return as an EV, while others suggest the nameplate will retire.
“The icons of the past aren’t necessarily the icons of the future,” Hildegard Wortmann, the carmaker’s global chief of sales and marketing, told Autoblog in 2021.
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