As with the R8 GT hard-top that recently went on sale, Audi engineers are thought to have shed some 220 pounds from the R8 Spyder’s curb weight. This was done likely through the use of light weight carbon fiber and aluminum, thinner glass and sheet metal and a fixed rear wing in place of the previous automated one.
The hardcore convertible will also sport the same 560 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque version of the R8’s 5.2-liter V-10 engine, which the automaker claims is good for 0-60 mph acceleration of around 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 193 mph.
Drive will be sent to all four custom wheels via an uprated version of Audi’s six-speed R-tronic robotized manual transmission and a viscous coupling that sends up to 85 percent of torque to the rear wheels during normal driving. Of course, more torque can be sent to the front wheels should the system detect a loss of a traction.
