The 2018 Audi R8 RWS will arrive in Australian showrooms in April, available in both coupe and spyder body styles, the rear-wheel drive performance car is priced from $299,500 plus on-road costs.
Limited to 999 units worldwide, both R8 RWS body styles are relative bargains undercutting the equivalent all-wheel drive variants by $67,500.
Audi claims the R8 RWS shares 50 per cent of its components with the R8 LMS, which is rear-wheel drive due to GT3 racing regulations.
The R8 V10 RWS will feature the same, naturally aspirated 5.2 FSI V10 engine that develops 397kW/540Nm from the all-wheel drive car. Audi claims the coupe can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, with the spyder hitting triple figures in 3.8 seconds.
By ditching the all-wheel drive system, the coupe sheds 50kg of weight and tips the scales at 1509kg. The spyder loses 40kg and weighs in at 1,680kg.
The R8 RWS is offered with 19-inch wheels finished in high-gloss black, eight-piston fixed-caliper brakes and wave discs on the front wheels and four-piston fixed-caliper brakes with wave discs on the rear.
Ibis white exterior paint is standard with the option of an RWS Audi Sport GT stripe design.
Other exterior features include a dual-branch Audi Sport exhaust system with gloss-black tailpipe trims, a lower side blade in a matching body colour, upper side blade finished in contrasting Mythos black, Audi Single-frame grille finished in matt black honeycomb with the Audi Sport badge, while LED headlights and LED daytime running lights are standard, with rear LED lights and dynamic rear indicators.
"The Audi R8 RWS is such an exciting car for us because it's the very first rear-wheel-drive production car ever built by Audi. As a brand famous for quattro, or all-wheel-drive, this was a huge but exciting move for our brand in once again demonstrating our Vorsprung, or progressiveness, to consumers. It's hard to imagine any sportscar-loving owner who wouldn't be motivated by such a modern classic supercar," said Paul Sansom, Managing Director of Audi Australia.
Audi has not confirmed exactly how many of the 999 R8 RWS units are coming to Australia, however, it’s unlikely to be many.
Audi R8 RWS key equipment highlights:
MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch
Audi virtual cockpit with 12.3-inch display
Audi smartphone interface
DAB+ digital radio
Audi music interface with 2x USB ports and charging function
Heated R8 sport seats with electrically-control height and backrest adjustment
Black Alcantara/leather upholstery
Automatic climate controlled air-conditioning
Door sills with aluminium inlays and R8 emblem
Multi-function, R8 sport flat-bottom leather steering wheel with shift paddles
Parking system plus; front and rear parking sensors with rear view camera
2018 Audi R8 RWS pricing (excludes on-road costs):
Audi R8 RWS coupe - $299,500
Audi R8 RWS Spyder - $321,000
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