Away from the luxury-centric proceedings at Ingolstadt with the launch of the
new Audi A8, the four rings brand has now also unveiled a range of Audi Sport
parts for the R8 and TT RS.
First up are sport brake linings which Audi says are
less prone to fading compared to the standard items, and can be specified for
both the standard and the ceramic brake setup; in the case of the R8, these
come with titanium carrying plates which will save one kilogramme. Meanwhile
for the Audi TT RS, steel front brake discs with multiple bolt mountings are
available, and can be had with brake cooling kits that are also compatible with
the TTS and standard TT.
Moving along the chassis department, both the TT
models and R8 can be specified with two- or three-way coilover suspension,
while black 20-inch wheels are also available for both models. The wheels save
up to 7.2 kg on the Audi TT and are fitted with 255/30R20 tyres all around,
while the 20-inch items save 8.0 kg on the R8 and are fitted with 245/30R20 and
305/30R20 tyres front and rear respectively.
A cross member reinforcement bar for the rear axle
is available for TT coupes with quattro driveline, replacing the rear seats and
saving 20 kg, which Audi says improves rigidity and consequently, the car’s
handling. For the top-shelf TT RS, the electronic speed limiter can be raised
to 280 km/h. For adding aural delights, the TTS and TT RS can have a
lightweight titanium exhaust muffler by Akrapovic installed.
Audi’s aero kits for both the R8 and TT have been
developed in the Audi wind tunnel, which add downforce. With the kit installed,
the R8 generates 250 kg of downforce at 330 km/h, an increase of over 100 kg
previously at this speed. The effect is even more pronounced at 150 km/h, says
Audi; the resulting 52 kg of downforce more than doubles the amount without the
kit, which includes a splitter and dive planes at the front, and a large wing
at the back.
All aero components feature the Audi Sport logo;
they are made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) on the R8, while on the
TT models they are made of CFRP and plastic. The interior isn’t left out here;
A sport contour steering wheel with multifunction plus can be installed on both
the R8 and the TT, featuring an Alcantara rim with a red 12 o’clock marker. For
models with the S-tronic transmission, carbon-fibre shift paddles are
available.
