(Autofun Philippines) It’s not a case of Lamborghini refusing to let Audi have all the fun.
The Audi R8 GT is a limited-edition special edition supercar that bids farewell to the second generation Audi R8 and says goodbye to the V10 with it. So why does Audi give the R8 GT only 602 hp while the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica and STO reach 631 hp? Well, at the R8 GT’s international launch event in Seville, Spain, Audi Philippines asked if it was limited to not stepping on Lamborghini’s toes.
Nils Fischer, Technical Project Manager for the Audi R8, explains that the reason has to do with the emissions law and how it affects large and low displacement manufacturers. “For Lamborghini, being a small manufacturer, they have different rules to play with,” Fischer said. He tells us a core difference between the two supercars is their exhaust, saying that “with Audi’s production laws, we can’t use that.”
European lawmakers allow small-volume producers to apply for exemptions from certain emissions regulations. Small-scale manufacturers – those that produce fewer than 10,000 cars a year – can set their own exemption targets, usually based on their emissions over the years. This is also the loophole that the Italian government is fighting to prevent Ferrari and Lamborghini from killing internal combustion engines by 2035 with the rest of Europe.
Lamborghini will only produce 8,405 vehicles in 2021, subject to these regulations and allowing the company to apply a larger exemption. Similarly, Audi has produced 458,746 vehicles in 2021. The brand’s fleet-wide CO2 emissions target must be below a certain threshold and a full “Lambo-spec” R8 – of which Audi is on the road to production. production of 1,000 units in 2022 and 2,000 units in 2023 – will hinder this. So Audi had to be careful.
Oddly enough, the R8 GT also failed to sell power to the US market. Usually, the lack of a particulate filter results in US-spec cars having more power and noise – as is the case with the Audi RS3 – but the R8 GT puts out 602 hp while other models do not. Europe makes 611.5 hp. Fischer told us that while the ratings could be different – partly because the US uses a horsepower rating according to the SAE standard while Europe uses a metric, ISO-managed standard (620 hp is the SAE rating). official class of the R8 GT) – the performance of American cars will be completely on par with their European counterparts.
To hit the record, the R8 GT will hit 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and 124 mph from a stop in 10.1. It will hit 199 mph. These numbers are impressive, given that the R8 GT relies on a naturally aspirated engine and rear-wheel drive. They can partly be attributed to the extra power over the standard R8 RWD but also to the 55-pound diet the car has adopted and the bespoke suspension, gearbox tuning and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup rubbers. 2 stick.
