The mighty Audi R8 is back for the 2011 model year with its traditional coupe form along with an all-new convertible variant known as the Spyder. The convertible is offered in both the V8 and V10 powered models with the latter offering a more thrilling experience with the sonorous V10
The 2011 Audi R8 is the all-new redesigned iteration of the mighty R8 and offers a strong engine coupled with a 6-Speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed single-clutch automated manual known as R Tronic. The R8 Coupe is priced at $114,200 which is on the lower side of the supercar spectrum. Let’s explore the drivability and other factors of the new Audi R8 and see how it compares with the competition. This Audi primarily competes with the 2011 Porsche GT3 and the 2011 Aston Martin Vantage Coupe.
The 2011 Audi R8 Coupe comes in two trim variants starting at $114,200 for the base 4.2 Coupe equipped with the 4.2 L V8 engine outputting 420 hp @ 7800 rpm and 317 ft-lbs. @ 4500 rpm. The 5.2 Coupe starts at $149,000 and comes with a 5.2 L V10 engine outputting 525 hp and 391 lb-ft. The R8 Coupe comes equipped with a plethora of features, including 19" Five-arm, Double-spoke Wheels, Summer Performance Tires, Leather/Alcantara sports seats.
More features like ten-way power-adjustable, heated seats including four-way lumbar support, Aluminum Optic accelerator, brake, and clutch pedals, Leather-wrapped, three-spoke, flat-bottom multifunction sports steering wheel, Micro metallic Gray interior inlays, Automatic climate control, Tilt and telescopic manually adjustable steering column, and Audi concert AM/FM stereo with in-dash CD player, including MP3 CD capability, and much more as standard.
Trim |
4.2 Coupe |
5.2 Coupe |
---|---|---|
MSRP |
$114,200 (Manual) |
$149,000 (Manual) |
Features |
$123,300 (Automatic) |
$158,100 (Automatic) |
|
4.2 L V8 Engine |
5.2 L V10 engine |
Quad-chrome Exhaust Pipes |
Dual-oval Chrome Exhaust Pipes |
|
Retractable Rear Spoiler |
Retractable Rear Spoiler |
|
19" Five-arm, Double-spoke Wheels |
19" Ten-spoke, Y Design Wheels |
|
Summer Performance Tires. |
Summer Performance Tires. |
|
Leather/Alcantara sport seats |
Fine Nappa leather sport seats |
|
Ten-way power-adjustable, heated seats including four-way lumbar support |
Audi Navigation plus with real-time traffic |
|
Aluminum Optic accelerator, brake, and clutch pedals |
Bang & Olufsen® Sound System – 465 watts, twelve speakers including a center speaker and subwoofer, ten channel amplifier, and vehicle noise compensation |
|
Leather-wrapped, three-spoke, flat-bottom multifunction sports steering wheel |
Audi parking system plus with the rearview camera – includes ultrasonic sensors for both front and rear of the vehicle |
|
Micro metallic Gray interior inlays Auto-dimming interior mirror with digital compass |
SIRIUS Satellite Radio HomeLink and Bluetooth |
|
Automatic climate control Tilt and telescopic manually adjustable steering column |
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Audi concert AM/FM stereo with in-dash CD player, including MP3 CD capability |
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SIRIUS Satellite Radio HomeLink and Bluetooth |
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The 2011 Audi R8 4.2 Coupe comes starts at $114,200 and comes fitted with 19" Five-arm, Double-spoke Wheels, Summer Performance Tires, Leather/Alcantara sports seats, Ten-way power-adjustable, heated seats including four-way lumbar support, Leather-wrapped, three-spoke, flat-bottom multifunction sports steering wheel, Automatic climate control, and Audi concert AM/FM stereo with in-dash CD player, including MP3 CD capability
The 2011 Audi R8 comes equipped with a 4.2 L V8 engine that puts out a maximum power of 420 hp and a maximum torque of 317 lb-ft. The engine's power is transferred to the rear wheels either through a six-speed manual or six-speed single-clutch R-Tronic automatic transmission. The R8 Coupe reaches 60mph in 4.3 seconds and crosses the quarter-mile mark in 12.5 seconds, which are impressive numbers. The base price of the R8 Coupe is $114,200, which is already quite expensive and can go up significantly with added extras and packages.
Model |
Audi R8 4.2 Coupe |
Porsche 911 Coupe GT3 |
Aston Martin V8 Vantage |
---|---|---|---|
MSRP |
$114,200 |
$115,700 |
$118,650 |
Engine |
4.2 L V8 |
3.8 L Flat-6 |
4.7 L V8 |
Drivetrain |
AWD |
RWD |
RWD |
Transmission |
6-speed manual |
6-speed manual |
6-speed manual |
Power |
420 hp @ 7800 rpm |
435 hp @ 7600 rpm |
420 hp @ 7300 rpm |
Torque |
317 ft-lbs. @ 4500 rpm |
317 ft-lbs. @ 6250 rpm |
346 ft-lbs. @ 5000 rpm |
0-60 mph (seconds) |
4.5 |
3.5 |
4.5 |
Quarter-mile (mph) |
12.5 |
11.8 |
13.4 |
Top Speed (mph) |
185 |
193 |
180 |
In comparison, the Porsche 911 GT3 is the fastest of the lot, with a 38 L Flat-6 under its hood putting out 435 hp and 317 lb-ft, pulling the Aston to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, and crossing the quarter-mile mark in 11.8 seconds. The Audi and the Aston come in at second place taking 4.5 seconds to reach 60mph. The Audi takes 12.5 seconds to cross the quarter-mile followed by the Aston Martin that takes 13.4 seconds.
We know that fuel efficiency is not the turf of a pure performance car track beast like the R8. The 2011 Audi R8 Coupe delivers a fuel-efficiency of 11 mpg in the city, 20 on the highway, and 14 mpg of combined fuel economy. The R8 Coupe gets a 23.8-gallon fuel capacity, outputting a range of 262 miles in the city, 476 on the highway, and a combined range of 333 miles. The efficiency figures are on par with other performance-oriented vehicles in the segment.
Model |
Audi R8 4.2 Coupe |
Porsche 911 Coupe GT3 |
Aston Martin V8 Vantage |
---|---|---|---|
MPG (City) (mpg) |
11 |
14 |
13 |
MPG (Highway) (mpg) |
20 |
21 |
19 |
MPG (Combined) (mpg) |
14 |
16 |
15 |
Fuel Capacity (gallon) |
23.8 |
17.7 |
21.1 |
Range (City/Hwy/Combined) |
262/476/333 |
248/372/283 |
274/401/316 |
The Porsche delivers the best-combined fuel efficiency of 16 mpg, while the Aston Martin Vantage and the Audi deliver combined efficiency of 16 and 15mpg. The Audi has a fuel capacity of 23.8 gallons, followed by the Aston Martin and Porsche with a 21.1 and 17.7-gallons of fuel capacity. The Audi delivers the best-combined range of 333 miles, followed by the Aston and Porsche providing 316 and 283 miles of range, respectively.
The R8 Coupe provides very good space and comfort for the two occupants. The R8 features automatic climate control, Fine Nappa leather sport seats, Ten-way power-adjustable, heated seats including four-way lumbar support, Aluminum Optic accelerator, brake and clutch pedals Leather-wrapped, three-spoke, flat-bottom multifunction sports steering wheel, Micrometallic Gray interior inlays Auto-dimming interior mirror with digital compass and Tilt and telescopic manually adjustable steering column.
Model |
Audi R8 4.2 Coupe |
Porsche 911 Coupe GT3 |
Aston Martin V8 Vantage |
---|---|---|---|
Seating Capacity |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in) |
38.1 |
N/A |
|
Cargo Capacity (cu-ft) |
3.5 |
3.7 |
10.6 |
The Audi R8 is very spacious in the front row. When it comes to cargo capacity, the Aston has the most of 10.6 cu-ft, followed by the Porsche with a meager 3.7 cu-ft and the Audi with an even lower 3.5 cu-ft of the cargo area. Major interior features include-
The 2011 Audi R8 features Audi Navigation plus with real-time traffic along with Audi parking system plus with rearview camera which includes ultrasonic sensors for both front and rear of the vehicle. It is equipped with Bluetooth, Aux, and USB Connectivity along with satellite radio. As for audio, there is a Bang & Olufsen Sound System – 465 watts, twelve speakers including a center speaker and subwoofer, ten channel amplifier, and vehicle noise compensation inside the R8 Coupe as an option. The audio system sounds phenomenal as expected. Few key features include-
The R8 Coupe doesn’t look super aggressive with plain styling, sharp lines, and planted stance. The R8 further features a Full LED Headlight System, Quad-chrome Exhaust Pipes, Retractable Rear Spoiler, 19" Five-arm, Double-spoke Wheels, Summer Performance Tires, and Body-Color, Heated, Power-folding Mirrors With Auto-dimming Capabilities. The R8 Coupe weighs 3,605 lbs, which is on the higher side of the spectrum.
Model |
Audi R8 4.2 Coupe |
Porsche 911 Coupe GT3 |
Aston Martin V8 Vantage |
---|---|---|---|
Curb Weight (lbs) |
3605 |
3075 |
3595 |
Length (in.) |
174.6 |
175.8 |
172.5 |
Width (in.) |
76.0 |
71.2 |
73.5 |
Height (in.) |
49.3 |
50.4 |
49.5 |
Ground Clearance (in.) |
4.3 |
4.2 |
4.7 |
Wheelbase (in.) |
104.3 |
92.7 |
102.5 |
The Porsche is the largest among the competition in all dimensions. The GT3 weighs 3,075 lbs, followed by the Aston Martin that weighs 3,595 lbs, while the Audi is the heaviest weighing 3,605 lbs. The Aston has a ground clearance of 4.7 inches, while the Audi has a bit lower 4.3 inches of clearance while the Porsche has a ground clearance of 4.2 inches. Few key features include-
The new Audi R8 comes equipped with many standard safety features, including 4-wheel ABS, Rigid body shell with reinforced occupant cell, side intrusion beams, and energy-absorbing crumple zones at the front and rear, Driver and passenger knee airbags, Driver and passenger seat-mounted head and thorax airbags, and Driver and passenger advanced dual-stage airbags. Few key safety features include-
The 2011 Audi R8 is a superb performance machine delivering cutting-edge power outputs along with amazing driving dynamics and great handling at the same time being comparatively easy to drive. The R8 is a less expensive option compared to its rivals. The naturally aspirated V8 and V10 engines in the R8 is plenty powerful and sounds awesome.