LA 2009: Audi R8 Spyder Drops Its Top In the Golden State
It’s sure to be one of, if not the car’s largest market, so it’s no surrise that Audi chose the Los Angeles Auto Show to introduce Americans to the new R8 Spyder. Having recently been given it’s world premiere in Frankfurt Germany after years of speculation and spy photos, the 525-hp drop-top R8 is finally here.
Power comes from a Lamborghini sourced 5.2-liter V10 that pushes the R8 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat and blast on to a top speed of 195 mph!
What might be most impressive about the drop-top R8 is that the exotic German sports car only weighs 13.23 lbs more than the Coupe, thanks in part to the R8’s already stiff chassis and a light-weight soft-top instead of a retractable hard top. The total curb weight of the car is now 3,792 lbs. Additional weight savings were made through the use of carbon fiber for not only the side blades but also the rear tonneau cover for the soft top.
As for the soft-top, it opens and closes in just 19 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph and Audi claims the interior noise with the top up is almost identical to that of the coupe.
As for the style of the R8 Spyder, it is certainly stunning, with a bold chrome grille, gloss black detailing and a rear tonneau cover with large vents. Special Y-spoke wheels in a 19-inch fitment complete the design with 235/35/19 tires up front and 295/30 tires out back. For added grip, Audi also offers the R8 Spyder with 305-wide rear tires.
GALLERY: Audi R8 Spyder Debut in LA
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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Headline should read \Golden State\, not \Sunshine State\. Florida has exclusive use of that title, not Calif !!