What's all this about?
As part of the rebranding of Quattro GmbH into Audi Sport, more driver-focused cars were promised. This is one of them; the rear-wheel drive R8 V10 RWS, which is lighter and purer than its all-wheel drive brethren. In case you're wondering, RWS stands for Rear-Wheel System, although why Audi Sport couldn't just call it RWD for rear-wheel drive is beyond us. Typical.
How have they done it?
It's really quite simple. Take away the heavy all-wheel drive hardware like the propshaft, centre differential and front driveshafts, and a neat weight saving is your reward, to the tune of 40kg in the Spyder and 50kg in the Coupe. The dampers have been retuned, while the electromechanical power steering and ESC have also been recalibrated; the latter in the
Fun? Skids? Audi? What's going on?
You can thank Audi Sport head honcho Stephan Winkelmann for that. He explains, "The R8 V10 RWS is made for purists. A limited-edition special model for customers with an appreciation for essential driving enjoyment, the R8 V10 RWS is an absolutely exclusive offer. With its mid-mounted V10 engine and rear-wheel drive, it successfully brings the driving concept of our R8 LMS racing car to the streets."
What about the performance?
The car is based on the base 540hp V10, so similar to that, apart from the addition of a couple of tenths to the 0-60mph sprint. The Spyder also gets 1mph taken off its top speed.
How will people know what it is?
The biggest clues are the matt black front grille and air intakes, while the lower sideblade will now be finished in body colour. Stripes (a la R8 LMS GT4) are optional, ditto for bucket seats and harnesses inside. A numbered plaque tells you which one of the planned 999 yours is, and European prices start at €140,000 (£126,995) for the Coupe and €153,000 (£138,788) for the Spyder, although official UK prices will probably differ.
Shane O'Donoghue - 11 Sep 2017