Rare model is one
Audi and its Quattro all-wheel drive is a pairing that makes serious artistry of the road. It’s like the duo of Daft Punk (if you’re an electronic music fan), the Black Keys (for the rock fans), or Hall and Oates or Simon and Garfunkel (for the fans of the older stuff ). To have one without the other seems crazy.
Well, the madmen have done it. This is the new Audi R8 RWS, a rear-wheel-drive model of the brand’s halo supercar. The German automaker says that this is how to properly experience the midengined, V10-powered marvel in its purest form (and customers have been begging for it), so we set out to Madrid to see if they got it right. The secret tell The first thing to note is that the RWS has a subtle exterior tweak designed to help only those in the know tell it apart from normal all-wheel-drive R8s.
Here’s the secret: take a look at the “sideblade,” which is the area just behind the door and ahead of the rear wheels. The top part of the blade is painted glossy black, while the bottom part is the same as the body. Like the brand’s R8 GT4 race car (which is built alongside the RWS and uses 60 per cent of the same parts), buyers can even outfit the RWS with a sleek racing stripe.
Only 999 examples of this car will be sold, so be sure to pay attention to that little sideblade tweak to see if you’re looking at a rarity on the road.
It’s not like Audi could have done much to make this model look any nicer — the R8 is already one of the sleekest, most well-designed supercars on the market, tiptoeing a line between ostentatious and elegant. It works beautifully. Worth getting excited about Rear-wheel-drive versions of the R8 shed about 50 kilograms over the regular coupe.
Any weight loss equals earned speed, and the 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 hooks up right to the rear wheels, result- ing in an intense shove as all 540 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque hit as soon as you floor the gas pedal. It’s an interesting feeling, as acceleration feels a hint more direct than it does in the Quattro model. The best part of the RWS is the increased opportunity for shenanigans, as the rear wheels are more likely to squirm, smoke and squeal under pressure.
Like the AWD R8, this car is extremely fun to drive, and the powertrain (one of just a few big naturally aspirated engines left) has a lot to do with that.
We got on a very wet handling course to get a feel for the rearwheel R8.
When pushing things hard, you can very much find yourself sliding and even spinning the car, but a newly developed Sport traction setting lets you explore your limits while keeping you safe.