Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro
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Audi
17th September, 2009
Exceptional performance and breathtaking dynamism
coupled with the intense sensations of open-top driving: Audi presents the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro.
Its light weight cloth top opens and closes fully automatically; several body parts are made of a
carbon fibre composite material.
The V10 engine produces 386 kW and launches the open-top two-seater to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds on
its way to a top speed of 313 km/h. Featuring technologies such as the Audi Space Frame (ASF),
quattro permanent all-wheel drive, full-LED headlights and with an innovative seat belt microphone
available as an option, the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro is the new top-of-the-range Audi.
The Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro makes a powerful statement. The sculptured lines of the
emotion-packed, high-performance sports car are a fascinating and unique interpretation of its
dynamism. Unlike the Coupé, the Spyder does not have 'sideblades' behind the doors. The side panels
and the large cover over the storage compartment for the cloth top are made of a carbon fibre
composite. Two arched cowls, which extend to the spoiler lip and include large, integrated air
vents, give the rear of the open-top two-seater a powerful profile.
Like every open-top Audi, the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro has a cloth top – an uncompromising
solution for a high performance sports car. The soft top’s 'hood' has an approximate weight of just
30 kilogrammes; it thus keeps the vehicle’s total weight and centre of gravity low. The top takes up
little space when open and is a harmonious design element when closed. It tapers off to two slim
fins extending to the trailing edge of the car, emphasising the elongated silhouette.
The electrohydraulic soft top opens and closes in 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to
50 km/h. When opened, it folds like a Z into its storage compartment over the V10 engine. The
compartment cover opens and closes automatically. The heated glass window, which is separate from
the cloth top, is lowered into the bulkhead. It can be independently raised and lowered at the press
of a switch, with the top up or down. An additional net-like wind deflector comes standard and can
be latched into the bulkhead behind the seats in two easy steps.
The top, which comprises an outer skin of a leak proof textile fabric and the headliner, is fully
compatible with high-speed driving. When driving at moderate speeds with the top up, interior noise
levels in the R8 Spyder are barely higher than in the Coupé. The bulkhead includes integrated
rollover protection in the form of two strong, spring-tensioned plates. Head/thorax side bags in the
backrests protect the passengers in the event of a side impact. Full-size airbags stand at the ready
in the event of a head-on collision. In a rear-end collision, the integral head restraint system
reduces the risk of whiplash injuries.
In the version with manual transmission, the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro weighs only 1,720
kilogrammes thanks primarily to its aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) body. Despite reinforcements in
the area of the sills, the centre tunnel, the rear wall, the floor pan and the A- and B-pillars, the
body weighs only 216 kilogrammes – just 6 kilogrammes more than that of the R8 Coupé. The high
stiffness of the ASF body, which includes an integrated engine frame of ultra-light weight magnesium,
provides the foundation for the car’s dynamic handling and superior safety.
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