The article was originally produced on November 22, 2012, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Audi R8 GT Spyder

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the bow is tightened again by the engineers in Ingolstadt. A new supercar is being launched from the RS center and this time it's called the R8 GT Spyder!

No one can have missed the exceptional success that Audi has had. The model program for 2012 breaks all records with almost a new model every two weeks. Few other car brands have managed a similar production rate. It wasn't long ago that Audi didn't have a super sports car in its model range. But with the launch of the R8 in 2006, that changed. I have driven most of the versions of the R8 that have come. First it was the V8 model, then the V10 and the cabriolet versions. The basis of the R8 is partly borrowed from the subsidiary, Lamborghini, and their Gallardo. A mid-engine car with four-wheel drive in a compact format with a high-revving V10 engine as its heart. Ingredients that on paper guarantee optimal driving pleasure. 

Just like the coupé version of the GT, the Spyder is also built in only 333 exclusive examples. Cars Collection has been given the task of hard testing number 18 of this worst thing from southern Germany. To really find out what the R8 GT Spyder has to offer, a trip to the Nürburgring was necessary. This in combination with the driving course Scuderia Hanseat. A course that Cars Collection will tackle in a future issue of the magazine. What makes the Nürburgring so ideal for car testing is its versatility. Lots of incredibly fast sections but at the same time technical corner sections that have to be taken in the right way from the first turn to get the speed out of the last corner. It's not the first time I've been to the Nürburgring to do a car test. Therefore, the comparison between different models can be more thorough and accurate. 

The road down to the Nürburgring goes via Malmö-Travemünde. A route that we recommended earlier as you don't have to drive through Denmark. You get a good night's sleep on the boat during the night. The R8 GT is tougher in every way than the standard version. Harder chassis, stiffer steering and minimally upholstered shell seats in carbon fiber. None of these things speak for a comfortable long-distance journey. Funnily enough, all that is completely forgotten when the car rolls off the ferry and onto the Autobahn. The V10 engine behind the back is working at high speed. The cabin is filled with a beautiful song, or roar as others uninterested in engines had called it. The pleasure is maximum! Of course it feels a bit bumpy and hard, but what can you expect when the meter needle is at 320 km/h. After all, the car's behavior at this extreme speed is stable as a mountain without the slightest worry. 

The gearbox in the R8 GT is a six-speed automatic gearbox that Audi calls R tronic. At low revs and in city traffic, this is a very sleepy story with sluggish shifts. For any other car, the rating would have been lowered significantly because of this. But in the case of the R8 GT, this is not the environment in which the car should be used. When you push the car to the max with the gas pedal in the bottom position, the changes happen like a horse kick in the back. Fierce and merciless but brutally fast, only a tenth of a second is required between steps.

The engine in the R8 GT Spyder is a 5.2-liter V10 engine with a block borrowed from Lamborghini. The output is increased to 553 horsepower from 525 in the original version. With a torque of 540 Nm, one hundred km/h is reached after just 3.2 seconds. Many believe that a real sports car should be rear-wheel drive. That may be the case, but the performance and safety of a four-wheel drive car is hard to beat. Exploring the frontier for a rear-wheel drive car with the same amount of power would have been very difficult. With the R8 GT, this works perfectly and the car always feels very reliable and safe. Despite strong acceleration out of the curves, there is no hint of release in the rear. Even with the anti-skid system set to sport mode, the car does not become moody. To be 100% sure to bring the car to a stop before every corner, a set of massive carbon fiber ceramic brakes sits all around the test car. A nice price supplement of SEK 107,000 is added to the basic price as these are not standard. But if you intend to torture a car on the racing track, it may be worth it in the long run. The difference is tangible and so-called matting when the brakes get too hot never occurs.

It's hard to think of negative things about this thoroughbred. But to name a few, the spaces for packing are almost non-existent. Under the front hood there is room for a bag, but that's where it stops. The compartment is not cramped but leaves no places to put away the packing or shopping bags. If you own an R8 GT Spyder, this is most likely not a problem as it will mainly be used in warmer climates. The perfect pack would then consist of a helmet for the track and a pair of swimming trunks for a cooling dip after the day's adrenaline-fueled drive. The R8 GT Spyder is a really stubborn car that begs to be handled with a firm hand. That's when it feels the best and that's when you feel even better!

+ Excess power, fantastic engine sound, superior driving characteristics thanks to four-wheel drive.

– Tough gearbox in city traffic, substandard packing options.