Just as we hear reports of Audi planning a race-ready but street-legal R8 GT3, MTM comes out with this – a massively fast, supercharged, lightweight, Rear-Wheel-Drive version of the V8-powered supercar called the R8 GT3-2. The “2″ at the end represents its drive wheels, differentiating it from the standard AWD cars.

While the performance enhancements are significant (and we will go over those in the following paragraphs,) what we really need to focus on here is that this is an Audi R8 without its quattro AWD system; it’s only driven by the rear wheels. While that may seem like a disadvantage to some, others (especially racers,) will consider this a godsend and buy one based solely on that fact. Not only does getting rid of quattro lighten up the car, but gives it an entirely new driving dynamic. RWD cars are more fun to drive, for one, but can also be driven more aggressively and can be taken around turns sideways (powersliding, drifting,) whereas AWD cars have trouble doing that.

So, what else has been changed? MTM supercharged the R8, effectively giving the 4.2-liter V8 engine 560 HP – 35 more than the V10 version with significantly less weight. It’s only boosted to 8 psi, so crank up that boost and you’ll get even more power. Zero to 62 mph comes in only 3.9 seconds, up to a top speed of 197 mph. MTM also tacked on a special exhaust to increase performance and make the modified R8 sound unmistakable. A special adjustable suspension is added to the car, along with 20-inch lightweight forged wheels wrapped in high-performance Dunlop tires.

Outside, MTM kept it mostly stock, save for replacing the front spoiler, side skirt and rear wing with their own lightweight (and more aerodynamic) carbon fiber pieces. Inside, MTM gets you some Recaro carbon racing seats.

If you’re interested in an MTM Audi R8 GT3-2 – and who would blame you – you can order one from MTM directly or give them your existing R8 for a conversion.

If you think the standard Audi R8 supercar is a bit too “posh” for you, check out what German tuning firm Abt Sportsline just churned out.

The ABT R8 GT R isn’t just your standard tuned car, but a lightweight, high-powered race car for the road and track. The first thing Abt did to this monster is take of Audi’s stock hood, front and rear aprons, rear wing, tailgate, and even the outline edge on the rear, external mirrors, and the door panels – replacing them with their own versions made completely from carbon fiber. The side windows are even replaced with a high-strength, lightweight material called Makrolon. All this stripping down doesn’t sacrifice anything but bulk, and makes for a weight savings of over 220 lbs – a significant number when flying down a track.

As you might expect, Abt didn’t leave the engine alone in this beast. The monstrous 5.2-liter, 525 hp V10 engine in the factory car has been tuned to 620 hp, allowing the Abt R8 GT R to travel from zero to 62 mph in only 3.2 seconds. Keep that right pedal down and the car will reach 124 mph in 9.9 seconds, up to a top speed of 202 mph.

Abt also added a sports suspension and adjustable dampers to fine-tune the performance, along with modified brakes to deal with the extra power. Lightweight 19-inch Abt alloy wheel were added for style and function.

To give it its race track ability, Abt added Recaro racing seats with a 4-point seat belt system, stainless steel roll-over bar with seat belt attachment, hand-held fire extinguisher and a carbon fiber ABT Sports steering wheel.. They’ve even added a an on-board video system and the expandable data module for tracking and recording your lap times and other metrics.

This is truly a track-worthy beast for those who want the gorgeous looks, blistering performance, and overall refinement of an Audi R8 V10 supercar, but also want a highly capable race car.

The Audi R8 V10 hasn’t reached US shores yet, but it’s been in Europe for some time now. This has given tuning companies such as Abt plenty of time to make the already insanely powerful 525 hp, 5.2-liter V10 even better.

Abt took the R8 V10 and added 75 hp for a total of 600 asphalt-blazing ponies by remapping the ECU and adding a new 4-pipe exhaust system. The extra oomph helps the Abt R8 get from 0 to 62 mph in only 3.8 seconds and lets the supercar join the 200 mph club with a top speed of exactly 200 mph.

Not only that, but it looks badass too. Abt replaced much of the R8’s gorgeous body with their own carbon fiber aerodynamic bits to lighten it up and increase downforce. The result is one mean looking R8; especially with those red accents you see here.

Lastly, Abt replaced the R8 V10’s wheels with their own 20-inch monsters, which are some of the best looking wheels I’ve seen on any car.

The stock Audi R8 V10 could compete just fine on its own, but with the additions from Abt Sportsline, this thing is a whole different beast. 600 horsepower is nothing to laugh at, and the carbon fiber bodywork looks nothing short of exceptional. Good job on this one, Abt.

Check out more pictures below:

Lightweight R8 V10

The lightweight R8 V10’s aerodynamics you see in the pictures here have been modified slightly to include a front spoiler and rear fixed wing to increase downforce. A moderate power increase is also expected, but don’t think it will surpass the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4’s 552 hp. Something in the 530 hp range is a reasonable bump up from the V10’s 518 stock hp.

The lightweight R8 V10 will lose some weight by removing unnecessary luxuries like air conditioning and audio system, and will likely replace the leather seats with lighter sport seats. Extensive use of carbon fiber will also be likely. It will probably keep the signature quattro AWD system.

source: Autocar

2010 Audi R8 V10

Audi just released pricing and release information on the American version of the R8 V10. We’ve been waiting for this ever since Europe got it, and Audi said they’ll be shipping the first R8 V10s to the States starting this week!

Pricing for the regular R8 (V8) stays at the same $114,200 for the 2010 model, with the V10 version coming in at $146,000 – a $32K price difference. Still not bad if you consider what you’re getting dollar-for-performance. The 5.2-liter V10 engine in the R8 5.2 is the same powerhouse found in the R8 LMS GT3 racecar. It produces 525 horsepower, 391 lb/ft of torque, and can get you from 0-60 mph in only 3.7 seconds. That’s fast.

The 2010 Audi R8 V10 gets some special equipment too, of course. Some unique exterior features include wider sideblades to catch more air, a shinier front grille, full-LED headlights, new 19-inch wheels, new oval-shaped exhaust tips, new rocker panel design, a larger rear diffuser, and “V10″ badges all around, including on the instrument cluster. As expected, it has Audi’s quattro AWD system, and comes standard with navigation, a 465 watt Bang & Olufen sound system, 10-way power heated sport seats, rear view camera with parking system, and a few other gadgets. “Sepang Blue Pearl” paint will be offered exclusively on the R8 V10. It looks fantastic, in case you were worried.

The first two 2010 R8 V10s bound for the States were sold to two rich bastards at the Boca Raton Concours d’ Elegance charity auction who paid $500,000 and $450,000 for the cars. Good to know everyone isn’t struggling financially right now.

I’m going to try to get into one of these soon, assuming there are any available. If I succeed, expect a full review posted here immediately afterwards. Many more pictures below:

The good fellows at AutoExpress spotted the Audi R8 V10 Spyder used during filming of the movie Iron Man 2. The 525 horsepower car will exclusively use the 5.2-liter V10 engine at first, but will probably get the 4.2-liter V8 down the road as well. I still think the Spyder is an abomination and should be buried far, far away. For God’s sake, it doesn’t even have the sideblade! I’ll stick with the R8 coupe, thanks Audi.

Head over to AutoExpress for a few more pictures.

2011 Audi R8 Spyder V10

More spy shots have surfaced of the R8 Spyder, this time wielding the beastly 5.2-liter, 520 horsepower V10. The car was spotted circling the German Nurburgring test track, of course, and is expected to be unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Weight savings seems to be a focus of the convertible model, with a soft top instead of the heavier but more attractive retractable hard top. For the Spyder version, Audi has unfortunately removed the signature aluminum side blade, which added a sense of aggressiveness and broke up the long wheelbase, which otherwise looks a bit awkward. The coupe version of the R8 is a gorgeous car, and the convertible version destroys what made the coupe so pretty.

Some cars should not be made into a convertible, and the R8 is one of them. The R8 is one of my all-time favorite cars, but the Spyder version is disappointing.

More spy photos below.

Audi R10 V10 in Forza Motorsport 3

Today at E3, Audi announced that the R8 5.2 V10 supercar is set to be the cover car for the new Forza Motorsport 3 for Xbox 360, due out in October 2009. Audi has sponsored the new game to some degree, as the Forza series is well known to be a leader in the racing game segment for the Xbox 360, and is one of the most realistic and highly rated simulation racers available today. Forza Motorsport 2, for example, is a best seller for the Xbox 360, and has become a Platinum Hit (which also means it’s only $20 now.)

Audi will be doing lots of promotional events for the game, including the AXF-24 Audi-Forza Challenge during Le Mans weekend at the Audi Forum New York City on June 13-14. Audi is also holding contests for the game and car. One contest (visit www.forzamotorsport.net/contest/) has entrants designing a skin for the R8 V10. Five finalists will win a free Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, and the Grand Prize winner, which will be chosen by voting at www.xbox.com/forza3contest, will have their design featured as the exclusive custom downloadable car available to those who pre-order the game.

Xbox and Audi also announced they will host an exciting and exceptionally unique AXF-24 Audi-Forza Challenge, which will take place June 13-14 at the Audi Forum New York City. Xbox has selected nine of its top North American Forza competitors as determined by rankings on Xbox Live to converge on New York to compete in a 24-hour endurance competition in “Forza Motorsport 3” running concurrent to the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. The gamers will be split into three teams of three drivers, just like Le Mans racing teams on a yet to be announced track debuting in game upon release in October. The winning team at the end of the 24 hours on Sunday morning will win an all-expenses paid trip for them and a guest to the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans race where they will be hosted by Audi.

This is certainly a unique way to kick off the release of a game, and to promote the car, which I imagine is more of a brand image thing, since most video game players probably can’t afford the $165,000, even if it was available in US.

I, for one, can’t wait for Forza 3 to be released. While I was never a huge fan of Forza 2 (I got addicted to Project Gotham Racing 4 instead,) it’s a very good game, and Forza 3 is likely to be a big hit.

This is the type of game you want to play with a steering wheel. I personally use the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, but if you’re more hardcore about your racing games (or aren’t on a tight budget,) you could go with the Logitech G25 Racing Wheel, which I really, really hope to get some day.

Forza Motorsport 3 Xbox 360 case

Audi’s recent advertisements have been successful at taking little stabs at competitor’s products. The latest commercial, which you can view below, is firing a direct shot at Ferrari. The video shows Audi’s new R8 V10 driving through the streets of Maranello, Ferrari’s home town. The Italians, seeing the Audi supercar drive by, are angered and shamed. Clever.

Check out the video:

via: GCS

Audi just released a new promo video for the R8 V10 (a.k.a Audi R8 5.2 quattro FSI V10.) The video is typical of the car driving around on an open road and includes a few interesting special effects. I’m sure the video will be playing in Audi showrooms around Europe, which us Americans are sitting here twiddling our thumbs waiting for the car.

As I’m sure you know, the R8 V10 has a 5.2-liter FSI V10 engine producing over 520 hp. The car can run from 0 to 60 in only 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 196 mph. These specs make it the fastest ever road-going Audi, and comes dangerously close to knocking the Lamborghini Gallardo directly on its ass.