Audi has taken the wraps off the R8 V10 RWS, the company’s first production model with rear wheel-drive as a limited edition. It is limited to 999 units and comes both in Coupé and Spyder variants.
“The R8 V10 RWS is made for purists,” said Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Audi Sport. “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.”
Exterior highlights include matt black grille and matt black air intakes at the front and rear of the car. The upper sideblade (of the Coupé) is finished in gloss black while the lower blade in the body color. Similar to the R8 LMS GT4, the Coupé is available with an optional red film running over the hood, roof and rear end.
Inside, the driver and passenger sit in sport seats covered in leather and Alcantara. Bucket seats are available as an option. The dashboard bears an emblem “1 of 999”, indicating the limited number of units.
The mid-mounted 5.2L V10 FSI engine makes 397 kW (540 hp) and delivers its peak torque of 540 Nm (398.3 lb-ft) at 6,500 rpm. The RWS is claimed to accelerate the Coupé from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds (Spyder: 3.8 seconds) and on to a top speed of over 320 km/h (198.8 mph) (Spyder: 318 km/h).
The Coupé weighs 1,590 kg (without driver) – 50 kg less than the R8 Coupé with all-wheel drive which needs additional components like propshaft, multi-plate clutch and center differential. The Spyder is 40 kg lighter than the R8 Spyder V10 weighing in at 1,680 kg (without driver). The Coupé has an axle load distribution of 40.6:59.4 and 40.4:59.6 for the Spyder.
The chassis setup and control systems allow controlled drifts if the driver chooses “dynamic” mode in the Audi drive select system and sets the Stabilization Control ESC to “Sport”. The ESC intervenes reliably at the limit. The electromechanical power steering is completely free of torque steer and enables precise handling, Audi said.
The Audi R8 V10 RWS rolls standard on black-finished, 19-inch, cast-aluminum wheels in a 5-spoke V-design, with 245/35 tires up front and 295/35 at the rear.
The Audi R8 V10 RWS will be available for order in Germany and other European countries from autumn 2017. The first units will hit the streets early 2018. The Coupé starts at €140,000, the Spyder at €153,000.
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