Audi R8 GT Spyder Revealed: Where Rodeo Drive Meets the Nurburgring

Colum Wood
by Colum Wood

Purpose built track machines and Sunday driving convertibles are about as far apart on the automotive spectrum as the Fiat 500 and Ford Super Duty, but that doesn’t seem to stop “prestige” automakers from building them. And there’s good reason too, with obvious demand for a Miami beach machine that looks like it should be on the Nurburgring and has the packaging to do so too.

Following after the likes of the Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M and Lamborghini Superleggera Spyder comes the R8 GT Spyder, the drop-top version of the hardest-core Audi flagship.

Powered by the same 5.2-liter V10 as the coupe, it gains a bump in power over the regular V10 Spyder with a total of 560-hp on tap and 298 lb-ft of torque. Audi claims a 0-62 mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 197 mph.

The focus for this car is on shedding weight with a total of 187 lbs dropped thanks to a carbon fiber rear clamshell, rear spoiler and bumper. A set of stunning racing-style seats make up the biggest different, shedding 70 lbs.

Just 333 units will be made with European pricing set at 207,800 Euro. No U.S. pricing has been released, but with the coupe set at $198,000 look for a number just shy of $210,000.

GALLERY: Audi R8 GT Spyder

Colum Wood
Colum Wood

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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