316kW V8 for Audi R8 Spyder

IT WAS only a matter of time before Audi blessed its new R8 Spyder super-roadster with the orchestral 4.2-litre FSI direct-injection V8 from the mid-engined R8 Coupe.

Good news is Audi has now not only done so, but wound up its peak power output by a further 7kW to 316kW, while retaining the coupe’s 430Nm of torque – enough to accelerate the heavier Spyder to 100km/h in a claimed 4.8 seconds and top speed of 299km/h in both manual and R-tronic sequential manual transmission guises.

Bad news, however, is that Audi Australia is yet to decide whether to make the topless R8 V8 available here alongside the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro flagship, which will be released in September at an estimated price of around $400,000.

That would make the V10-engined R8 Spyder Audi’s most expensive model in Australia, eclipsing both the R8 Coupe 5.2 FSI quattro, which currently tops the range at $347,500 and the outgoing A8 6.0 quattro LWB limousine ($331,300).

It would also mean that, if imported, the R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI quattro would cost about $321,000 here.

Of course, the V8 Spyder comes with the same electro-hydraulically operated soft-top as the V10 Spyder, as well as the same aluminium and carbon-fibre body and the same high-tech features including LED headlights and (optional) seatbelt microphone.

With the R tronic transmission and standard fuel-saving equipment like brake energy regeneration and on-demand ancillaries for the Hungarian-built dry-sump V8, the R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI quattro returns average fuel consumption of 13.9 litres of per 100km – a full litre less than the manual version (14.9L/100km).