Audi Australia have announced that their R8 RWS (Rear Wheel Series) will be making its Down Under debut this April, with prices starting at $299,500. That figure is, of course, for the coupe, which is a useful $67,500 less expensive than the standard R8 V10, which is all-wheel driven.
For the R8 RWS Spyder, in which its lack of a fixed roof greatly helps in the enjoyment of that rather magnificent naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10, will run you $321,000, which is also $67,500 less expensive than the all-wheel drive standard variant.
The RWS should be a good amount more demanding over the corners given that it completely lacks any aid from its front axle, something drivers who demand a more pure experience behind the wheel will surely appreciate. In addition, the omission of the quattro AWD system takes away roughly 50kg off the standard car’s weight. Handy.
Power is derived from the same V10 motor that’s been driving the R8 and Lamborghini Huracan for some time now. In this most recent permutation, and in the less powerful tune of the ‘standard’ R8 V10, the numbers come to 397kW and 540Nm, transmitted via a 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission. Even without the front axle assist, the RWS is capable of a 3.7 second 0-100km/h sprint. Top speed, meanwhile, stands at 320km/h.
To distinguish the purely rear-driven R8, the first and only (so far) rear wheel driven Audi the Ingolstadt automaker has ever produced, they have given it a unique while exterior with single and unmissable red stripe. More eagle-eyed observers might want to look out for its new exhaust system and various gloss black finishes littered around its body.
Inside, there’s much less to set it apart, which might be a good thing since there’s quite little to gripe about the standard R8 V10’s cabin. Amenities such as the Audi Virtual Cockpit, heated seats, and MMI infotainment system arrive as standard, and there’s even a special plaque to display the car’s build number out of the 999 examples set to be produced.
We’ve no idea at this point how many are being allocated for the Australian debut, but given that just under a 1000 examples are destined for worldwide distribution, we can’t imagine it’ll be very many.
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