These are the first pictures of Audi's forthcoming R8 supercar. An early prototype was photographed while undergoing chassis development on the Nurburgring circuit in Germany.
As previously reported, the new Audi R8 is remarkably unchanged from the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car shown at the
2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The test car features alloy wheels used in the current Lamborghini Gallardo, hinting at that car's four-wheel drive mechanicals underneath. The R8 will use a modified version of the Gallardo's aluminium space frame chassis too.
Despite utilising Lamborghini-derived V10s in the Audi S8 and Audi S6, the new R8 supercar is said to feature a V8 developed for the car. On the back of the 2006 Le Mans challenge with a diesel engine, it would be a daring move to fit the R8 with a diesel-fuelled engine, though not outside the bounds of possibility. All will become clear later this year when the Audi R8 should be revealed in its production format, possibly at the
Paris Motor Show.
Shane O' Donoghue - 29 Mar 2006