AUDIR8 GT (US) 2022 - 2024

　　The 2022 R8 V10 GT RWD was the swan song for Audi's first true supercar, and the carmaker said it would build it in just 333 units before giving it the axe.

　　When Audi unveiled the first generation of the R8 in 2006, it stunned the world because it was deemed the easiest-to-drive and control supercar in the world. But customers complained that the 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 was close but no cigar. It wasn't exactly in the same league as the Italian supercars. But then, the German carmaker introduced the 5.2-liter powerplant and replaced the sluggish automated gearbox with one disc with a dual-clutch one, and everything changed. Its all-wheel-drive system and comfortable cabin transformed the R8 into a genuine daily driver supercar. Then, in 2015, Audi scrapped the V8 from the list and left the car as a V10 affair only. After several special editions, the automaker understood that its customers loved the rear-wheel-drive versions, and that's why the last limited edition featured such a system. But it was more than just a regular R8 V10 with traction on two wheels.

　　At the front, the car featured a more aggressive bumper with a wider carbon fiber splitter at the lower side. On the bumper's corners, the automaker added double winglets to increase the downforce on the front axle. Furthermore, the massive singleframe grille sported a piano-black finish, and Audi used the same shade for the side scoops that grabbed air and cooled the front rotors. As a final detail, the automaker added three slats above the grille, resembling those installed on the Audi Ur-Quattro, the car that dominated the rally world at the beginning of the '80s.

　　From its profile, the R8 V10 GT RWD boasted 20-inch light alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin high-performance tires. The V10 logos on the front fenders were glossy black, like any other emblems found on the car, including the four-ring badge on the hood and rear fascia. Out back, the automaker installed a swan-neck wing carried over from GT3 cars that doubled the downforce on the rear axle compared to a regular R8 V10 quattro. Last but not least, a broad grille stretched from one side to the other of the rear fascia, like on the Ur-Quattro, while the biggest diffuser installed in a production vehicle was added under the bumper, flanked by a pair of big round exhausts.

　　Inside, Audi installed a pair of slim sports seats that provided a considerable amount of side support to their occupants. Fronting the driver was an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel with a 12-o'clock mark and several knobs and switches, including the start-stop button. The automaker offered customers the option to have the vehicle's production number either added on an aluminum plate on the center console or engraved in a carbon-fiber trim.

　　Under its skin, the R8 V10 GT AWD featured the same 5.2-liter V10 powerplant as the rest of the R8 range but tuned to provide 610 PS (602 hp). In addition, the automaker improved the seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox for faster shifts and altered the gear ratios compared to the R8 V10 Performance. It allowed customers to select the level of drift angles in seven steps, where the lowest one barely allowed the back end to kick out, while the seventh level allowed for more wheelspin. To stop the supercar, Audi installed big ceramic brakes as standard.

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