The 2019 Audi R8 is bringing in more power and torque, with 570PS in the standard 5.2-liter V10 (30PS more than the outgoing model), and 620PS ‘V10 performance’ versions (an extra 10PS) able to surpass the 200mph mark. That power is tempered with dynamics enhancements, with 50% of the car’s components shared with the R8 LMS GT3 competition car, and handling precision ensured through suspension and steering revisions. The 2019 model also features a front anti-roll bar, which can be ordered in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and aluminum.
As Oliver Hoffmann, technical managing director of Audi Sport GmbH stated, “Motorsport is part of our DNA. With around 50% shared parts with the R8 LMS GT3, no other automobile is so close to motor racing as the R8.”
The steering assistance profile has been retuned for both the standard electromechanical power steering and the optional dynamic steering, to create improved steering response, smoother transitions between individual drive modes, and greater feedback from the road.
Audi Sport has also made the distinction between the comfort, auto, dynamic and individual profiles in the Audi drive select dynamic handling system even clearer. On the R8 V10 performance quattro model, there are three further programs of dry, wet and snow, which adapt the key dynamic parameters to the friction coefficient of the road.
The 2019 model accelerates faster than the outgoing model, and it also stops quicker, with the enhanced Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) system in the V10 performance model braking the car from 62mph to a standstill up to 1.5m earlier, and from 124mph up to 5m shorter.
