R8 [Official] Audi R8 LMX unveiled with laser headlights

[lukeswiss]

They go double as far as LED ! That is incredible. This is actually great for those who like to drive on the autobahn at night, since that is when there is less traffic.

 

[Mars1965]

They go double as far as LED ! That is incredible. This is actually great for those who like to drive on the autobahn at night, since that is when there is less traffic.

Yes it is really great. When I come from the "Wallen" in Amsterdam and have to drive back to my wife in Belgium I can go twice as fast. Oh sh*t.... section control.....

 

[Mars1965]

Come to think of it, maybe I should drive at silent mode (electric)....

 

[donkeykong]

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[JHF]

 

[JHF]

Audi R8 LMX review

New Audi R8 LMX is the fastest R8 ever and only 99 will be built

Verdict
4

Audi will be secretly gutted that BMW beat it to market with laser light technology, but the Audi R8 LMX is a worthy final hurrah for the soon-to-be-replaced R8. You’d be hard pressed to feel the extra 20bhp – but it retains that unique R8 quality of being fast and flamboyant, and easy to drive. The laser light tech gives it a futuristic edge, although at £35,000 more than the R8 V10 Plus it’s not cheap to be an early adopter.
With an all-new Audi R8 on sale next year, the brand wanted its first supercar to go out with a bang - and the Audi R8 LMX is that swansong. It’s the fastest production R8 ever (with another 20bhp from the 5.2-litre V10 for a total of 562bhp) and only 99 examples will be built - but it has another trick up its sleeve beyond immense power and exclusivity.

The LMX was designed to be the first production car in the world to use laser headlight technology, beating the BMW i8 to the punch. But it was BMW that responded quicker, and in the week before the Le Mans 24h race it delivered eight i8s to customers in Munich. Bragging rights aside, though, the R8 LMX is still an incredible piece of kit.


Based on the R8 V10 Plus, it’s probably best thought of as an R8 V10 Plus Plus, with a top speed of 199mph and the power spinning through a seven-speed dual clutch. A fixed carbon-fibre rear wing and front splitter are designed to boost downforce, while quattro all-wheel drive and standard carbon-ceramic brakes, provide all the grip and stopping power you could realistically need. It’s also beautifully trimmed inside, with diamond-quilted stitching not just on the wing-back carbon-fibre seats, but also on the Alcantara roof.

While other cars capable of 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds can feel terrifying, the R8 LMX is ridiculously easy to drive fast. With no turbos or superchargers in sight, power delivery is perfectly linear, all the way up to the screaming 8000rpm peak. The engine has a dual character, too, ranging from surprisingly quiet to seriously loud, depending on whether you’re in the standard or Sport mode. The noise builds beautifully, changing from a low growl at low to mid revs, to a high-rev howl and then a barrel-chested bellow in the stretch to the redline.

Sport quickens up shifts from the dual-clutch transmission, too, which can be jerky at lower speeds, but when it’s driven quickly, it all comes together seamlessly reminding us why we love the R8 so much. Thanks to the stratospheric grip levels, anybody can drive this car quickly because it won’t bite you like a Ferrari 458 when over step the limits. The only genuine shortcoming is a steering ratio that feels too slow for the crispness of the chassis.


The headlights use a combination of LEDs for the high and low beams, but have an additional Laser Light contributing to the high beam. You can manually choose high or low beam with a conventional flick on a lever to the left of the steering wheel, but to preload the R8 for the Laser Lights, you need to give it a soft pull to start the automatic setting. It then relies on a camera in front of the rear-view mirror to assess oncoming traffic and whether it’s safe to fire up the high beam and then, on top of that, whether it’s safe to arm the lasers.

While the LED beams give an enormous spread of clear, white light way out into the trees, the Laser Lights fire two cannons of light out into the distance, stretching to 600m in front of the car. And it doesn’t take the R8 LMX very long to cover 600m, which is one of the reasons why they introduced it on this car.


Key specs

• Price: £160,025
• Engine: 5.2-litre V10
• Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch, four-wheel drive
• Power/torque: 562bhp/540Nm

• 0-62mph: 3.4 seconds
• Top speed: 199mph
• Economy/CO2: 18.2mpg/299g/km
• On sale: Now

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/r8/88039/audi-r8-lmx-review

 

[JHF]

2015 Audi R8 LMX V-10

The race to get laser headlights to market was sprinkled with drama, and the question of whether Audi or BMW won is probably not entirely settled. We have written about it before—BMW has already staged a handover ceremony for the first eight vehicles, but the Audi R8 LMX is the first laser-light car we were actually allowed to drive. More powerful than the R8 Plus, this ultrapotent special edition is the ultimate Audi R8.

The naturally aspirated V-10 is a classic, high-revving performance engine, and if its soundtrack reminds you of a Lamborghini’s, that's no coincidence: It is essentially the same powerhouse that resides at the center of the Lamborghini Gallardo and Huracán. The LMX’s 5.2-liter V-10 gains 20 horsepower over the powerplant in the R8 Plus, raising the total to 570. Torque remains unchanged at 398 lb-ft. The beefy V-10 is paired with a DL800 seven-speed dual-clutch automatic—no manual transmission is offered. Thus equipped, it charges from zero to 60 mph in just over three seconds, and top speed is pegged at 199 mph.


The chassis of the R8 LMX operates with laser-sharp precision, enhanced by beautifully weighted steering, aggressive carbon-ceramic brakes, and 235/35 front and 305/30 rear tires on 19-inch aluminum wheels. Turn-in is vigorous, and it is simple to position the tail and induce easily controllable oversteer. As the R8 LMX approaches 200 mph, the aerodynamic enhancements—including canards, a front air splitter, and a fixed, lightweight rear wing—take effect. There are remnants of softness and flexibility in the suspension, and thus the R8 LMX’s ride is never jarring even on truly unsettling roads. It is tuned for the daily drive, not just for ultrasmooth racetracks.

Turning Night Into Day

The superpowerful laser high beams ensure that the R8's capabilities can be used around the clock. Compared with the already-impressive LED high beams of the regular R8, the range is more than doubled. We found that it reaches well beyond half a mile, truly and somewhat surreally turning night into day. The laser high beams function only at speeds higher than 37 mph, and they cannot be turned on manually. (The road ahead is scanned by sensors and the lasers come on only if no traffic is detected.) Other motorists needn’t fear a laser attack.

Especially not in the U.S.—the intensity of the laser high beams is almost triple of the 150,000 candelas that are legally permitted here in the States. We do wish the regulation would be relaxed: These light beams are a strong safety factor . . . more so, the faster one goes.


Priced in Germany at €210,000 (that's €35,600 more than the R8 Plus and the equivalent of about $281,500 at current exchange rates), the R8 LMX comes at a remarkable premium over any other R8. Beyond the lasers and 20 extra horsepower, this price includes carbon-fiber decor, manually adjustable suede sport seats, and a suede headliner, the last two executed with diamond stitching. Ara Blue metallic, one of the three available exterior paint colors, is exclusive to the LMX. The limited-edition supercar comes with a plaque that denotes its build number in the 99-unit run.

The current R8, which was preceded in 2003 by the Le Mans Quattro concept, will be history in less than a year, when a lighter and even more competitive successor to the iconic mid-engined exotic is unveiled. The LMX will go down as the ultimate expression of the current car: What a pity we won't get it in the U.S.


SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe

BASE PRICE (in Germany):-210,000 (about $281,500)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 40-valve V-10, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 318 cu in, 5204 cc
Power: 570 hp @ 8000 rpm
Torque: 398 lb-ft @ 6500 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 104.3 in
Length: 174.8 in
Width: 75.9 in Height: 49.3 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3700 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 3.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.1 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.4 sec
Top speed: 199 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway: 13/22 mpg


http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-audi-r8-lmx-first-drive-review

 

[JHF]

Find of the Day: Matte Daytona Grey Audi R8 LMX in Zurich

http://fourtitude.com/news/in_market_find_of_the_day/find-day-matte-daytona-grey-audi-r8-lmx-zurich/

 

[lukeswiss]

I've never been to this dealership - it looks good.

 

[DjordjeC63]

Still fresh car.

 

[Giannis]

Still fresh car.

Indeed it is still highly desirable to me. I don't care about those laser/plasma lights or all these "new" features. I just want a V10 manual.

 

[Gianclaudio]

Yes, it looks great!

And the Audi, too.

 

[JHF]

 

[klier]

Yes it is really great. When I come from the "Wallen" in Amsterdam and have to drive back to my wife in Belgium I can go twice as fast. Oh sh*t.... section control.....

LOOOOLLLL

 

[Rainer271]

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[JHF]

First drive: Audi R8 LMX
£160,000, 562bhp special is the end of the road for Audi’s first-gen supercar. Ollie Marriage reports

Ooh, is this the new R8?

No, the second-gen R8 will indeed be along shortly, accompanied by much fanfare. But this is the R8 LMX, the limited edition final version of the first gen R8 and, as such, something of a farewell. With added lasers.

Lasers?

Oh yes. The LMX was announced last summer, when Audi adopted laser lights for its Le Mans cars. So to draw parallels with its racing efforts, this road car has lasers to assist its main beam headlights. Each ‘bulb' comprises four laser diodes, which a phosphor converter transforms into white light. All you have to do is drive at 37mph or more and, when you engage main beam, the lasers activate. The claim is that they double the effective range of standard LED lights.

Wow, what are they like?

Couldn't tell a difference. OK, I noticed the laser spot activating and putting a beam dead centre up ahead, but on the late night country roads I drove it on I couldn't honestly say it made that much difference. It has an intelligent camera system to prevent you flashing your fricking lasers at oncoming cars, but all this does is turn them off - the lights on this R8 certainly aren't as clever as the Matrix LED lights that are optional on the TT. Those are ace.

Let's talk about the rest of the car.

No problem. This is no less than the most powerful R8 ever, its 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 having been turned up to 562bhp. That's an extra 20bhp over the V10 Plus, 10bhp over the R8 GT. However, in the grand scheme of 550bhp, that's a gain of either 3.5 or 1.7 per cent, and torque hasn't climbed at all, remaining at 398lb ft. I couldn't tell a difference there, either.

But what an engine this still is. High-revving, large capacity, naturally aspirated engines are just the best. Ten cylinders revving to beyond 8,500rpm? Yes, please. It's the response and power delivery that make it so enthralling, so good to use.

The rumour is that this engine will be carried over into the next generation R8, expected to be unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow in a few weeks time - that would make sense given the new R8's architecture will be shared with the V10-engined Lamborghini Huracan.

So the V10 still makes a case for itself?

Absolutely, and it's hard to argue with figures such as 3.4 and 198. I'll let you work out the necessary suffixes.

The V10 is honeyed and smooth, picks up wonderfully and always seems to have more in reserve. Y'know, just in case. That said, I always preferred the 4.2-litre V8 in the R8. Not everyone does, I admit that, but it's a lighter, angrier, more snarly and revvier engine than the more cultured V10. Even so, the bigger engine is so well matched to the rest of the car in the oiled, confident way it goes about its business.

Is the R8 starting to feel its age?

To drive, not at all. The rigidity of the chassis, the peerless operation of the seven-speed double clutch gearbox, the sheer traction and balance of the thing remain real automotive highlights. This is still perhaps the best judged all round supercar of them all.

I don't think I'm wrong in saying it's quieter and better riding than a 911, perfectly cosy inside and so easy to drive smoothly. I had to collect a friend from the airport on my way home one night. All the bags slotted in the alcantara-lined nose and behind the seats, and we chatted the 45-minute journey away with no unwanted interruptions from suspension, engine or gearbox.

It's a wonderfully habitable device, the R8. But this LMX isn't quite perfect...

How so?

The carbon ceramic brakes are a fraction excitable at the top end, and the LMX runs fixed rate springs and dampers. Both set-up are close to superb - especially the suspension - but I know how good the optional Magentic Ride suspension is on the R8 and I'd want mine to have it. Just takes the edge off a fraction more.

Any other bugbears?

Technology has moved on since 2007. Dot matrix displays between the dials are what you find on cheap Peugeots now, and the nav system, well, it's approaching hopeless.

The interface still works OK, but the graphics are clunky, hooking up to Bluetooth is a hassle that saw me having to refer to the owner's manual, and the USB input wouldn't recognise my iPhone. Which meant I had to rely on the radio (no DAB or Bluetooth audio here) to make the most of the B&O hi-fi.

An optional extra?

No, it's not. The LMX comes well kitted - but then so it should for £160,025. I know it's a limited edition - only 99 will be built - but this isn't the R8's sweet spot. So right did Audi get the first R8 eight years ago that the V8 remains, for me, the honey of the range. Open gate manual, optional Magnetic Ride, yes please.

If you want one (and why wouldn't you? I certainly do) your only option is second hand. The LMX is all sold out, and Audi has stopped building old R8s now. They've all sold out.

Anything else you want to get off your chest?

The way the R8 drives when you properly open the taps. Put it on full lock at low speed and you can feel the car judder as the tight diffs struggle, but on a good road they help you out so much, nailing the front end through corners.

The R8's steering is beautfully geared and lovely to use, you always know it's mid-engined, you can feel the weight move about, and yet it's so obliging in its manners, so forgiving. It's not as nimble as a Ferrari 458, not as exotic as a McLaren 650S, but it's still a hell of a thing.

The best compliment I can pay the R8 is that it drives like a Lotus. If Norfolk under Dany Bahar had ever managed to get the Esprit off the ground, this is what I hope it would have felt like. Maybe a bit lighter, as the V10 R8 is on the porky side at almost 1600kg, but the slick, liquidy way the R8 pours itself down a road is something Audi has failed to replicate in the last decade.

If they cock up the next R8 we'll never forgive them.

Specs:
£160,025, 5204cc naturally aspirated V10, 562bhp @ 8,000rpm, 398lb ft @ 6,500rpm, 0-62mph in 3.4secs, 198mph max, 21.9mpg, 299g/km CO2, 1,595kg

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/audi-r8-lmx-first-drive-2015-01-27

 

[Soup]

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