AUDI has dropped the top on its uber-sports car, the R8, to come up with the V10 R8 Spyder. Blessed with the same 386kW of power and 530Nm of torque as the R8 Coupe, the R8 Spyder is Audi’s most expensive – and, in many eyes, desirable – offerings in Australia, providing blistering performance to match its go-fast looks. Riding on an all-aluminium space-frame chassis and double wishbone suspension, the R8 Spyder weighs just 100kg more than the hard-roofed Coupe, thanks to a light fabric top and crafty chassis strengthening measures. Good for a top speed of more than 300km/h and a zero-to-100km/h time of 4.1 seconds, the R8 Spyder is no pretender.