As a farewell to the R8, Audi gave the V10 superstar a body kit and drift features so bonkers you could call it a slip n’ slide
In the golden age of electrified vehicles and plug-in hybrids, left to rot has been big engines and classic names. Including the once royal Audi R8 which uses a V10 only fit for Tony Stark. 2023 will be the last year of Audi’s flagship vehicle and Audi will not send it off silent into the gentle night.
Here comes the terminal edition of the Iron Man car, the Audi R8 GT, a final punch from left field that not many people saw coming. With R8 sales slowly dwindling and EU emissions tightening up the R8 GT will be Germany’s take on the Dodge Last Call.
A Final Fanfare
The R8 GT gets a power bump from the regular R8 RWD (which is the only drivetrain it’s offered with) from a seemingly measly 562-hp in the supercar world to 602-hp. The up in power will rocket the GT to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and will spin the needle up to 199 mph. The bump also matches the R8’s AWD counterpart in terms of power, meant to give buyers who don’t want all the snazz of the Quattro platform an outlet to release all their parking lot donut desires.
And if you didn’t think Audi knew that you’d be wrong… Audi touts this as the drift oriented R8. Something we don’t see often in the realm of supercars is the idea of fun and hooliganism. Too often are we subjected to manufacturer views of class and opulence; this time Audi has decided to absolutely let loose. Torque Rear Mode lets the traction and stability control systems to be set on a sliding scale of 7 different drift intensities. Ranging probably from old man Bob who needs to get his eyes checked to Ken Block on the backroads of Colorado.
Looks Kill You Know
Just so we’re clear, the fun doesn’t end there. The R8 GT is meant to replicate the first generation R8 GT which debuted in 2010 and featured a 5.2L V8. I still remember when it flashed across the screen in Transformers 2 and in Iron Man. Both cementing the 1st generation’s R8 in history. The interior is meant to emulate that with a black and red color scheme, as well as GT branded floormats that let you know exactly what you’re stepping into.
On the exterior is where the R8 GT truly shows off its distinction. Carbon fiber the entire thing you say? A carbon fiber front splitter, dive canards, diffuser, and rear scoops all make the GT the car you want to get if body kit pieces earned fantasy football points. Pair that with a sexy gooseneck wing and you got the car of every 8-year old’s dreams. Audi says that the wing “ensures optimum wing underflow and thus improves aerodynamic efficiency.”
Make it 44 lbs lighter than a base R8 and now we’re shaving seconds. Putting the R8 on Weight Watchers might make it a more effective campaign… who knows? Audi made the front roll bar out of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, a severe weight saving decision curated with the most intense track drivers in mind.
Carbon ceramic brakes are standard equipment… it’ll take a lot to slow this beast down. One of our favorite options on Audis… probably wouldn’t pay the extravagant price for them though.
Saying Goodbye
As hard as it is to say goodbye, it was inevitable. We’ve known the R8 was going to be sent to the chopping block for a while, but we never knew it was going to be this hard. Limited to only 333 models just like the original GT, the farewell comes sparce. If this is any sign of good news however, maybe we’ll get some cool R8 throwback editions or special models. But for now, it’s time to say “see ya” to our favorite supercar.
