Audi Unveils Open-Top Version of Its R8 GT Flagship Sports Car

Just the Facts:

• Audi will build 333 examples of the R8 GT Spyder.
• It's powered by a 5.2-liter V10 rated at 552 horsepower.
• Audi claims a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.8 seconds.

INGOLSTADT, Germany — Audi has followed up last year's limited-edition R8 GT coupe with an even wilder 197-mph open-top version of its midengine performance flagship called the R8 GT Spyder.

Unveiled at the annual Woerthersee meet for Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen fans in Austria, the new carbon-fiber intensive two-seater is planned to be built in a limited run of just 333 cars at the German carmaker's Neckarsulm plant in Germany, with the first North American deliveries due by the end of 2011.

Power for the 3,616-pound R8 GT Spyder hails from a tuned version of Audi's naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 gasoline engine mounted longitudinally behind the cabin and equipped with dry sump lubrication. The direct-injection unit delivers a Porsche-911-Turbo-trouncing 552 horsepower — sufficient to provide the new two-seater with a weight-to-power ratio of 6.5 pounds per hp. Torque peaks at 398 pound-feet at 6,500 rpm.

The heady reserves are channeled through a six-speed R tronic sequential manual gearbox with steering-wheel-mounted paddles, a viscous coupling four-wheel-drive system and a rear mechanical locking differential.

Audi claims 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds — 0.3 seconds inside the time quoted for the standard R8 5.2 FSI Quattro Spyder. Top speed also increases incrementally to 197 mph.

The hike in performance has brought a number of detailed upgrades to the suspension, including firmer springs and dampers, beefed-up antiroll bars and a 10mm reduction in ride height, and 19-inch wheels with 235/35 front and 295/30 rear tires.

Among the styling changes that visually set the R8 GT Spyder apart from the standard R8 V10 5.2 FSI quattro are a dual lip front splitter, additional downforce elements on the outer edges of the front bumper, a fixed rear wing, larger diffuser incorporated into the rear bumper, round tailpipes and darkened taillamp lenses. Buyers can also option the car with a matte carbon-fiber reinforced plastic windscreen frame.

As with its standard sibling, the new Audi's fabric hood can be lowered in less than 20 seconds and at speeds up to 30 mph. The lightweight structure stows beneath a carbon-fiber reinforced plastic cover to preserve the R8 GT Spyder's dramatic lines. A separate glass rear window lowers into the rear bulkhead, which also houses two protection plates that deploy to provide rollover protection.

The interior receives the same treatment as the R8 GT Coupe, including the adoption of hard shell seats mounted on a carbon-fiber chassis — a move that is claimed to save almost 70 pounds alone.

Audi is yet to announce U.S. pricing for the R8 GT Spyder. In Germany it is listed at 207,000 Euros.

Inside Line says: — As the R8 gets older, the special editions start to roll out at a faster pace. At home this means an all-new car is on the way soon. — Andreas Stahl, Contributor