Audi R8 Spyder V10 gets 'Plus' treatment

The Audi R8 Spyder ups the ante with a more powerful 602bhp 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10. Becomes the fastest series-production Audi open-top, ever.

Roughly a year after launching the drop-top version of the second-gen R8, Audi has now realised that the convertible needs some more firepower. So, naturally, the Audi Sport division engineers at Neckarsulm decided to give the R8 Spyder the ‘Plus’ treatment. Which means, it’s been made leaner, meaner, faster and more powerful, so as to allow more air-in-the-hair than ever before in any Audi convertible.

While the Audi R8 Coupe was launched with the optional ‘Plus’ variant from the get go, the Spyder was only offered in standard trim upon its launch in 2016. The introduction of the ‘Plus’ tag now brings along the more powerful engine tune to the convertible. This means the 5.2-litre V10 block on the Spyder Plus churns out 602bhp and 560Nm of torque – a bump of about 70bhp and 20Nm over the standard Spyder. Power is transmitted to all four wheels via a slick shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Thanks to the additional horsepower, the R8 Spyder Plus sprints from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds – 0.3s faster than the regular model. Top speed is also up by 10km/h to 328km/h now.

Tipping the scales at 1,695kg, the R8 Spyder V10 Plus is around 25 kilogrammes lighter than the standard version. The weight savings are achieved by using lightweight materials such as bucket seats, carbon-ceramic brakes and light-alloy forged wheels. Among other highlights, there’s a cylinder-on-demand system that deactivates one bank of the V10, shutting five-cylinders under low-load conditions. That's done in order to improve fuel efficiency – yes, in a full-blown supercar!

On the outside, things are more or less unchanged but, Audi has introduced a new colour scheme called “Micrommata” green on the Spyder Plus, so as to differentiate it from other derivatives. Even on the inside, everything is identical to the V10 Plus Coupe it’s based on.

The Audi R8 Spyder V10 Plus has gone on sale in European markets. Will it come to India? Most likely, it will – albeit there’s no official confirmation on its India launch date as yet.

Also read: Next-Gen Audi A8 will be a hybrid as standard