The 2018 Audi R8’s gem lies in its soul - a rev-happy 5.2L V10 which screams all the way up to 8,000 RPM and is rated at 540 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. This gem of an engine is further available with two drivetrain options - RWD and AWD - along with two states of tune. The lower tune sets the aforementioned output while the higher tune bumps up the power to 602 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. In any case, the engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for the smoothest shifts that there can be, both on the road and on the track.
For the acceleration runs, the RWS can do the 60 MPH run in just 3.5 seconds with the quarter-mile coming in barely 11.6 seconds while the AWD shaves 0.3 seconds to 60 MPH and 0.2 seconds off the quarter-mile time. But when the V10 Plus is taken into account the times reduce drastically to just 2.9 seconds to 60 MPH and a quarter-mile time of just 10.9 seconds, making it the fastest road-going Audi yet.
Models
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2018 Audi R8 RWS Coupe
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2018 Lamborghini Huracan
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2018 Acura NSX
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2018 Nissan GT-R
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MSRP
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$141,250
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$241,945
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$157,500
|
$113,549
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Engine
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5.2L V10
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5.2L V10
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Twin-turbocharged 3.5L V6 + 3 Electric Motors
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Twin-turbocharged 3.8L V6
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Drivetrain
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AWD
|
AWD
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AWD
|
AWD
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Transmission
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7-speed dual-clutch automatic
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7-speed dual-clutch automatic
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9-speed automatic
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6-speed dual-clutch automatic
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Power
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562 hp @ 8,100 RPM
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602 hp @ 8250 RPM
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573 hp @ 6,500 RPM
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565 hp @ 6,800 RPM
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Torque
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406 lb-ft @ 6,400 RPM
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413 lb-ft @ 6500 RPM
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476 lb-ft @ 2,000 RPM
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467 lb-ft @ 3,300 RPM
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0-60 MPH (seconds)
|
3.4
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2.5
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3.0
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2.8
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Quarter-Mile (seconds)
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11.2
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10.4
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11.2
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11.2
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Top Speed (MPH)
|
205
|
202
|
191
|
196
|
Both the Audi and the Lamborghini share the same platform and hence their engines are also the same, to an extent. While the Audi is tuned for 562 horsepower, the Huracan leans more towards the R8 V10 Plus’ tune with an output of 602 horsepower with which it just demolishes the competition in terms of acceleration and pace. The most surprising (or not) entry in the acceleration times is the Godzilla, with just 0.3 seconds off the Huracan’s pace in the run to 60 MPH.
2018 Audi R8: Handling and performance
If one sets the equation correctly, the 2018 Audi R8 is a hooligan in the RWD only setup and can easily drift once all the controls are off. Once floored, the car just loses its rear-end and its just the driver and the smoke of burning rubber all around. The supercar is “super”easy to drive with the predictable engine characteristic and the superb gearbox that keeps all the power to the ground, leaving the driver with a boy-racer smile on their face. The seats are super comfortable for long drives and the leather upholstery is another feather to its cap.
If one wants better handling, the AWD is a better option and keeps it easy for the driver to hoon around without fearing for loss of traction. The car grips very well and one can easily give more power to the front wheels to stick to the tarmac and make corner exits fun. For the people considering daily-ing the car, it is very much manageable with the adaptive dampers making the drive comfortable while the light-yet-precise steering makes it easy to maneuver through traffic.
2018 Audi R8: Braking performance
The 2018 Audi R8 is a massively fast car which is pretty evident in its timings and as such, one will track the car once. One thing that will constantly give peace of mind is the braking capability of the German sports car which is anchored by 14.4-inch rotors at the front and 14.0-inch rotors at the rear. All the four rotors are ventilated to dissipate the heat effectively while carbon ceramics are on offer for the RWS and V10 Coupe, while it is a standard fitment on the V10 Plus Coupe.
Models
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2018 Audi R8 RWS Coupe
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2018 Lamborghini Huracan
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2018 Acura NSX
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2018 Nissan GT-R
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Brake Rotors: Front (inches)
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14.4
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14.4
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14.5
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15.3
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Brake Rotors: Rear (inches)
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14.0
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14.0
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14.2
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15.0
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Curb Weight (lbs)
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3,594
|
3,423
|
3,878
|
3,933
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60-0 MPH (feet)
|
100
|
101
|
102
|
104
|
The Audi R8 and the Huracan share very similar rotor sizes but the heavier R8 stops on a shorter distance than the lighter Huracan. All the cars stop in very similar distances but on-sheet, the R8 leads the game and is closely followed by the Huracan and then the NSX. The near-4000 lbs Godzilla does a good job at stopping as well.