The Indian arm of Audi, a globally renowned German luxury automotive marque and subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, has launched the facelift version of its R8 super sports car in the country. The stunning 2013 R8 revamp was showcased in front of the domestic audience by Michael Perschke, Head of Audi India, in the National Capital on January 21, 2013.
At the unveiling ceremony, Perschke was also accompanied by the star cast of upcoming Bollywood action flick- Race 2, including Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Ameesha Patel. Interestingly, driven by his passion for powerful automobiles, Saif Ali Khan also ordered the top-end R8 Spyder super sports car for himself. The star studded Race 2 movie also has John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandes and Anil Kapoor in prominent roles, and is slated to be released on January 25, 2013 in the country. The flick features several high performance sports cars, such as Audi R8 Spyder, Audi TT and the 'Batmobile' Lamborghini Gallardo in its action sequences.
Expressing his delight at the launch of 2013 Audi R8 facelift, Michael Perschke, was quoted as saying, “Our outstanding performance in 2012 established Audi as the fastest growing luxury car brand in India and this successful run will continue this year too. 2013 is a critical year for Audi in India and we will see the announcement of several initiatives on the product and network front. First month of 2013 already saw the launch of new Audi Q5 and I am confident that with the launch of this new Audi R8 we will further consolidate our leadership position in the super sports car segment in India.”
Commenting on the company's future aspirations from Indian market, Perschke said, “We are presently the growth drivers of the luxury car market in India and I am confident that 2013 will be more rewarding than 2012, despite the price hike. Audi R8 is the top of the line product of quattro GmbH and embodies cutting-edge technology of a performance car. Many of its features can also be found in the Audi RS5, Audi S4, Audi TT and the soon to be launched, Audi S6.”
Coming to under-the-hood specifications of 2013 Audi R8, the base variant comes fitted with a 4.2 litre FSI V8 petrol powertrain that belts out a peak power and torque equation of 424 bhp and 430 Nm, respectively. Further, the top-end R8 Coupe and Spyder models come assimilated with a 5.2 litre FSI V10 power-mill, which churns out a maximum power output of 518 bhp along with a peak torque delivery of 530 Nm. The 2013 facelift version of R8 supercar is quicker than its erstwhile model, by 0.3 seconds in the 0 to 100 kmph sprint. The Audi R8 V8 model accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in just 4.3 seconds, whereas the R8 V10 accomplishes the same feat in 3.6 seconds.
The German auto major has introduced its 2013 R8 fleet in 4.2 litre V8 and 5.2 litre V10 coupe options and the 5.2 litre V10 Spyder model. The stylish Audi R8 4.2 FSI V8 coupe is tagged with a retail value of Rs. 1,345,5000, whereas the Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10 model is offered to domestic audience at a price tag of Rs. 1,578,8000. Further, the ultra modish and top-of-the-line Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10 Spyder carries a a pricing of Rs. 1,735,5000 (All prices in the ex-showrooms of New Delhi). At present, the newly launched Audi R8 supercar competes against the likes of Aston Martin V8 Vantage, BMW M6 and Porsche 911 Turbo, amongst others in the Indian super sports car market.
