The Audi R8 Spyder won the MotorWeek 2011 Drivers’ Choice Award for Best Dream Machine. In its 30th year, the annual MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Awards look at vehicles from a buyer’s pointofview to judge the best new cars and trucks of the year.
As a winner of a 2011 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award, the Audi R8 Spyder will be featured in an upcoming episode of MotorWeek, currently scheduled to air on Feb. 12 (check local listings) on PBS and on Discovery’s HD Theater, Feb. 22.
The MotorWeek award adds to a long list of international consumer and media honors bestowed on the high-performance Audi R8 lineup. The R8 5.2 FSI quattro is the reigning World Performance Car of the Year, for just one example.
The same designers who created the Le Mans-winning prototypes also designed the R8 Spyder. From its wide stance, to its powerful wheels to the artful integration of exclusive materials like carbon fiber, the R8 Spyder is as unmistakable parked as it is in motion.
At the heart of the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro is the soul stirring 525 hp 5.2 FSI V10 engine. Displayed under a transparent panel and nestled within a Carbon Fiber Sigma engine bay, the V10 screams to an astronomical 8700 rpm and propels the R8 Spyder 5.2 to 60 mph in only 3.7 seconds on the way up to a top track speed of 196.4 mph. As part of a race-bred mid-engine design that contributes to superb handling dynamics, the 5.2 V10 produces 101hp/liter and features race winning technology such as FSI direct injection and a dry sump lubrication system that assures engine lubrication under the most demanding driving situations. It is no wonder then, that this same engine is used in the R8 LMS GT3 race car.
Although the R8 Spyder 5.2 is a convertible, it’s still very much designed for speed. In fact, the specially designed Acoustic top incorporates three-layers of insulation comparable to a traditional hard top. This means the R8 Spyder 5.2 is capable of reaching the 195 MPH top speed without hesitation. In addition, the top is capable of retracting in 19 seconds at speeds up to 31 MPH. To learn more, please visit http://models.audiusa.com/r8-spyder.