Audi goes to the dark side with special R8 Plus

AUDI Australia has revved up its second-generation flagship R8 V10 Plus coupe with a mainly cosmetic limited-edition enhancement package that, despite the inclusion of a range of extras, is $500 cheaper than the standard R8 V10 Plus.

Called R8 V10 Plus Neuburg Edition – named after the German home of Audi Sport – the limited run of just 10 units has gone on sale in Australia for $402,500 plus on-road costs.

So far, two customers – both in South Australia – have stepped up to the plate to order one of the cars that are mechanically the same as the R8 V10 Plus with its 449kW/560Nm 5.2-litre engine, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive.

Additions include LED headlights with Audi laser lights to enhance high-beam performance, gloss black 20-inch alloy wheels, gloss carbon engine covers and exterior wing mirrors, and gloss titanium black exterior trim.

Black Nappa leather upholstery with red diamond-pattern stitching on the seats is matched with similarly stitched black Alcantara headlining.

This black Alcantara also covers the cabin’s rear wall and parcel shelf, as well as on the flat-bottom steering wheel and transmission lever. The black interior also includes gloss carbon inlays.

Four Audi Sport exterior colours are available, three in metallic finish – red, black and grey – and one in pearl, a grey.

But there is more. Instead of a set of steak knives, buyers get a set of Audi-branded Bang & Olufson H6 headphones in a specially crafted box “which opens at the angle of the Audi Sport rhombus”.

What’s more, the package includes a Samsung tablet pre-loaded with some Audi R8 promotional images and video.

So far this year, Audi has sold 50 R8s in Australia, down 36.7 per cent on the 79 sold first 11 months of last year.

The R8 is now ranked 11th in its segment that includes competitors such as the Porsche 911 (402 sales) and Mercedes-AMG GT (135).

The Audi flagship is expected to get another lift in 2018 with the arrival of a rear-wheel-drive version in both coupe and Spyder roadster guises about March.

As GoAuto reported from the Frankfurt motor show in September, the limited-run variant – called R8 V10 RWS (Rear Wheel Series) – will be powered by the “standard” 397kW/540Nm 5.2-litre V10 driving the rear wheels instead of all-four wheels like the quattro R8 to date.

Pricing is and model specifications are yet to be announced, but Audi Australia marketing and communications director Anna Burgdorf told GoAuto: “Watch this space.”