Audi has released images of its new R8 GT, which will go on sale in limited numbers in spring of 2011. The new car uses the 5.2-litre V10 engine, with the power boosted to just shy of 560hp.
Audi has shaved 100kg off the car's weight by measures such as making the windscreen glass thinner, using polycarbonate for the bulkhead and the window in the rear hatch and using lighter sheet metal and less aluminium for the boot lid. Weight has also been shed from the brakes, brake discs, the battery, intake module and engine compartment insulation, but most significantly from the seats. The installation of bucket seats with a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) chassis has removed 31.5kg.
The GT uses the R tronic transmission in favour of the standard six-speed manual gearbox and there are carbon ceramic brakes fitted, as well as a specially tuned ESP programme with a Sport mode. The GT gets a more direct steering ratio and the suspension can be manually adjusted, lowering the body by up to 10mm. A race package can be specified for owners who want to take their GT racing and this includes a bolt-in roll bar, road-approved four-point belts in red or black, a fire extinguisher and a kill switch for the battery. An optional front bar module for motorsport events includes a rotary lock for the four-point seatbelt and turns the roll bar into a full cage.
Despite the weight saving measures, not all the luxuries have been removed. You still get things like automatic climate control, navigation and a Bang & Olufsen sound system. It is not known yet if Ireland will get any of the 333 GT models for sale, but you could expect a price tag of close to €300,000.