The New Audi R8 Spyder Is Here To Fill Your Ears With Glorious V10 Noise

After being spotted undergoing testing undisguised in the wild recently, the drop-top ‘Spyder’ version of Audi’s R8 supercar has been fully revealed at the New York Auto Show. Under the skin it’s much the same as the coupe: there’s a 532bhp, 398lb ft 5.2-litre N/A V10 mounted in the middle (a 602bhp V10 Plus is due later in the year), quattro all-wheel drive and Audi’s Space Frame chassis.

The chassis is worthy of particular attention, as it makes the car 50 per cent more rigid than the old R8 Spyder. The whole lot is over 100kg lighter than the old car, too. It is still heavier than the coupe, of course, although it doesn’t dent performance too much: 0-62mph is possible in just 3.6 seconds, only a tenth down on the tin-top V10. The top speed is listed as a very specific 197.6mph.

Like the coupe, there’s only one gearbox option: a seven-speed ‘S Tronic’ dual-clutch automatic.

The electronically-operated roof can go up or down automatically in around 20 seconds, at speeds of up to 31mph. The rear window can also drop up or down independently, if you want a little more noise without lowering the whole roof.

Prices haven’t been revealed just yet, but expect to add a few thousand to the £119,500 starting price of the R8 V10 coupe.