What's the news?
We didn't see this one coming. Audi, synonymous with all-wheel drive road cars for decades, has announced a rear-wheel drive version of its R8 supercar. Named the R8 V10 RWS (for Rear-wheel Series, natch), only 999 cars will be built between Coupe and Spyder forms.
The concept was to produce a car for driving enthusiasts, as Audi Sport (formerly known as Quattro GmbH) boss Stephan Winkelmann explains: "The R8 V10 RWS is made for purists. 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."
Based on the entry-level, 540hp V10 model, but stripped of its propshaft, centre differential and front driveshafts, the Coupe comes in at 50kg lighter than its all-wheel drive brother, while the Spyder benefits from a 40kg weight reduction. That's necessitated a recalibration of the dampers, and one hopes that an even better body control will be the result. The electromechanical power steering and ESC have also been tweaked, though the outright performance figures are broadly the same, save for slightly longer acceleration times. Can't have it all, can you?
Differentiating the RWS visually are a matt black grille and air intakes in a similar finish, while the lower sideblade is now finished in body colour. The stickers are optional, though we kind of like them, in a quasi-road racer kind of way.
Inside, bucket seats and harnesses are optional, while a numbered plaque gives a reminder of the car's limited-edition status. The price? €140,000 for the Coupe, and €153,000 for the Spyder. Who knows, if demand is high, they might build more than 999...