Audi Bahrain has announced the arrival of two of the brand’s sportiest new models – the all-new Audi R8 and the new Audi S8 plus.

The two Bahrain debuts coincide with an increased regional focus on Audi’s high-performance range, recently grouped under a new brand called Audi Sport.

Audi Bahrain will be one of seven Audi dealerships in the Middle East to become an official Audi Sport dealer in 2016. The Audi Bahrain showroom in Sitra will host a dedicated Audi Sport area, staffed by personnel who are specialized in the exclusive R and RS-badged models. The new showroom concept is set to launch in the second half of the year.

Audi Bahrain sales manager, Allen Blake, commented: “Audi’s successful racing heritage is at the core of every car that rolls off the production line. Lessons learnt on the race track are carried through to deliver the very best technology and driving experiences for our customers. The all-new Audi R8 is a prime example of this, demonstrating the very best that Audi Sport has to offer - from its advanced lightweight construction right through to its aerodynamics and newly developed quattro all-wheel drive.”  

The all-new high-performance Audi R8 sports model

Named ‘2016 World Performance Car’ in the World Car Awards, the all-new Audi R8 is available in two engine versions – with the R8 V10 plus being the most powerful and fastest production Audi ever built. The top version 610 hp naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 mid-engine sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h in 9.9 seconds and has a governed top speed of 330 km/h. Like a race car engine, it has dry sump lubrication – meaning that its characteristic sound is now even fuller, and a sport exhaust system can be installed as an option.

Positioned behind the V10 mid-engine is a seven-speed S tronic that executes fast gear shifts by electrical control (shift-by-wire). The dual-clutch transmission directs forces to a newly designed quattro drive system with an electro hydraulically activated multi-plate clutch at the front axle. Management of the clutch is integrated in the Audi drive select dynamic driving system, giving the driver a choice between the basic modes: comfort, auto, dynamic and individual.

Low, wide and extended, characteristic design features of the previous model now take on a sharpened expression. The side blades, for instance, are now interrupted by the continuous shoulder line that gives the sides a look of tension and excitement. Large air inlets with vertical fins and LED headlights flank the wide, low-profile Singleframe grille that has a strong sculpted appearance. From Vegas Yellow to matt finish Camouflage Green, the new high-performance sports car is offered in eleven exterior colours, combined with any of the six versions of side blades.

In the interior too, the lightweight design concept of the all-new Audi R8 is expressed in taut lines. The low-mounted sport seats with integrated head restraints are entirely new. In the plus model, there are lightweight bucket seats (optional on the V10). A number of different colour combinations can be chosen from for the Alcantara or fine Nappa leather upholstery.

All important functions can be managed without drivers taking their hands off the steering wheel or looking away from the road. The digital display is reminiscent of a race car: the Audi virtual cockpit, a TFT monitor with a 12.3-inch screen, presents all information in intricately rendered, high-resolution graphics. Drivers can individually configure the gages around the speedometer and rev counter according to their needs.

In both engine versions, the all-new Audi R8 has standard 19-inch wheels, and 20-inch wheels with size 245/30 tires in front and 305/30 at the rear are available as an option. The powerful brakes decelerate the car effectively; in the top model, the brake discs are made of carbon-fibre ceramic (optional on the R8 V10). The all-new R8 comes with a generous set of standard interior equipment as well. One highlight is MMI navigation plus with MMI touch. Audi connect is the perfect component to complement MMI navigation plus – it conveniently connects the new R8 to the internet via a high-performance, integrated data module with LTE/UMTS support. The second generation modular infotainment platform (MIB) makes this possible. The sound system from Bang & Olufsen and the Audi phone box round out the infotainment line-up.

As in a race car, the aerodynamic concept of the all-new Audi R8 is designed primarily for driving stability. In the R8 V10 plus, the unladen weight (without driver) is only 1,555 kg, and the dry weight is a low 1,454 kg. Playing a decisive role in this systematic lightweight design concept is the revolutionary Audi Space Frame (ASF), a feature shared by its luxury sedan counterpart – the new Audi S8 plus.

The new Audi S8 plus

In this new top model of the A8 model series, Audi engineers have further advanced the development of the 4.0 TFSI engine, breaking the 600-hp barrier in the full-size sedan segment to produce the highest powered premium sport sedan. The sonorous V8 bi-turbo engine now has a power output of 605 hp and a maximum torque of 700 Nm; in over-boost mode, it can even produce 750 Nm. The large sport sedan – whose power was boosted 85 hp compared to the S8 – accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, and its governed top speed of 250 km/h can optionally be increased to 305 km/h.

An eight-speed tiptronic distributes the forces that are generated by the power-boosted V8 engine to a quattro drivetrain with a sport differential. Chassis highlights include the adaptive air suspension sport and dynamic steering, both of which chassis experts tuned specifically for the S8 plus. In the Middle East, the car comes with 21-inch wheels that were specially designed for the S8 plus and size 275/35 tires.

The headlights feature Matrix LED technology as standard equipment in the Middle East: they come with dynamic turn signals. The extremely precise high-beam units each have 25 small, individual LEDs that can be individually switched on or off or dimmed as needed. They illuminate the road superbly without causing glare to oncoming traffic.

The interior of the S8 appeals with numerous sporty details, the authenticity of its materials and generous interior space. Audi delivers the new S8 plus with the normal wheelbase and offers extensive standard features that include ambient lighting, a convenience key with sensor-driven luggage compartment locking, full-leather interior package, Alcantara package, power-assisted door closing and a DVD/CD changer.

In the Middle East, standard features also include ventilated seats with massage function at the front, head-up display, park assist system with 360 degree camera, solar sunroof, assistance package with Audi pre sense plus, four-zone deluxe automatic air conditioning system, Bose surround sound system and MMI navigation plus with MMI touch, and finally Audi side assist. –TradeArabia News Service