Audi to bring R8 to India

India will soon get to see Audi’s R luxury sports car being launched at a price of Rs 1.17 crore. The Audi R8,  which was globally unveiled in the first half of 2007, will be launched before the end of the current year. Audi has said that it has already received orders for 15 R8 models and that it expects to sell around 1,000 cars in the country this year.

Photo: Audi R8 India launch soon

Powered by a 420-horsepower V8 engine and all-wheel-drive, the R8 has been built on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform. The car, which is currently available in the US and Europe, is equipped with a standard manual and an automated manual transmission.

The order for 15 Audi R8 cars mean that Audi has already sold out their entire stock of cars for the year 2008 – even before they have officially launched it!

Here is our first story on the Audi R8 in India.

The car sports interiors that have a well though out inclination toward driver comfort and has the instrument panel above the console angled slightly towards the driver. Designers have made sure that there is enough room for two occupants, with comfort levels well beyond the norm of high-performance sports cars. The luggage compartment at the front has a capacity of 100 litres, said a review.

The Audi R8 is available in a manual six-speed gearbox or the Audi R tronic sequential-shift gearbox. The car is fitted with permanent four-wheel drive, which distributes the power variably to the front and rear axles with the help of a clutch. Fitted with six-arm 18-inch wheels as standard equipment, the car boasts of a long wheelbase and extremely low centre of gravity that ensures maximum stability. Among other features is the direct, hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering that provides optimum feedback to assist the driver.

Other features include an acoustic parking system, a rear-view camera and a unique navigation system. The car is one of the slowest ever made by Audi. The company expects to find a good base among the Indian clientele.