(continued from above)
The 2011 Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro captivates from the very first
glance. Its lines offer a unique interpretation of the dynamics and emotion of a
high-performance sports car. Two distinctive silver cowls, into which the large
air intake openings are integrated, give the long back a powerful profile.
Unlike the Coupé, the R8 Spyder has classic air intakes behind the doors. The
rear side panels and the large cover over the storage compartment for the cloth
top are made of a carbon fiber composite.
The 2011 Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI
quattro sports a cloth soft top in classic Audi style. The soft top's
approximate weight is a mere 93 lbs (42 kilograms); it thus keeps the vehicle's
total weight and center of gravity low. When closed it melds harmoniously into
the design line - it ends in two slim fins that extend toward the rear and have
a contour similar to that of the Coupé hard top.
The top is suitable
without restriction for high-speed driving and is quiet. With the standard
electrohydraulic motor, the top opens and closes within 19 seconds, even while
driving at speeds up to 31 mph (50 km/h). The heated glass window is integrated
separately into the bulkhead and can be raised and lowered via a switch with the
soft top up or down. Audi also provides a wind deflector that can be installed
in just two steps.
The bulkhead includes integrated rollover protection
in the form of two pretensioned plates. The aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) body
of the R8 Spyder is reinforced at important locations, yet it tips the scales at
a mere 476 lbs (216 kilograms) - just 13 lbs more than the Coupé. Equipped with
a manual transmission, the high-performance sports car weighs 3,792 lbs (1,720
kilograms).
R8 Spyder's Exterior Design
The 2011 Audi R8
Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro is 14.53 ft long, 6.23 ft wide and 4.07 ft high - it has
a wide, hunkered-down stance on the road as if ready to pounce. The dynamic
proportions, the sculputural design and the passenger cell situated far to the
front with the flat windshield visually underscore the mid-engine concept.
As with every Audi, the single-frame grille is the distinguishing element -
it is wide and low and painted in high-gloss black. Narrow chrome strips adorn
the horizontal and vertical bars of the grille. The lip of the front skirt and
the air inlets that direct air across the three radiators are also painted
high-gloss black. The inlets have only two crossbars, which makes them look
large and hungry.
An exclusive technological highlight is the standard
LED headlights of the 2011 R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro. Audi is the world's first
automaker to use light-emitting diodes for the low beams, the high beams, the
daytime running lights and the turn signals. With its color temperature of 6,000
Kelvin, the LED light is very similar to daylight, which keeps the eyes alert
when driving at night. The excellent light distribution and long service life of
the LEDs are additional advantages, plus they consume substantially less energy
than conventional halogen lamps.
The headlights are technical works of
art. Each of the daytime running lights comprise 24 LEDs arranged in a wave
along the lower edge of the headlights that appear as a solid strip thanks to a
plastic body placed in front of the LEDs. The headlight reflectors resemble open
mussel shells.
Audi offers the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro with a choice of
three colors - black, red and brown - for the top. The body is available in the
solid finishes Ibis White and Brilliant Red; the metallic finishes Suzuka Gray,
Teak Brown, Ice Silver, Jet Blue and Aurum Beige; and the pearl effect finishes
Daytona Gray, Sepang Blue, Lava Gray and Phantom Black. Customers in search of
more exclusivity can choose from roughly 100 special paint finishes or have
their very own shade mixed.
Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI: Review (2/2)
