The facelifted 2019 Audi R8 has been scooped by Carscoops spy photographers wearing bright colors and some camouflage over key areas. Despite the presence of camouflage across the nose, it’s apparent
that Audi designers have modified the air intakes and reshaped the grille to
make the R8 more appealing than ever before.
Moving to the sides, the presence of camouflage
indicates that some new skirts have been designed. At the rear, the facelifted
R8 adopts a different mesh grille design which appears to stretch the full
width of the car. The presence of a small rear wing, menacing diffuser and
larger-than-life tailpipes indicate that these two prototypes could be
range-topping R8 GT models.
If a new Audi R8 GT is indeed around the corner, a
host of performance changes are inevitable. Power from the naturally-aspirated
5.2-liter V10 engine could be increased to around 650 hp and possibly as much
as 670 hp. We wouldn’t be surprised if the range-topping R8 GT also took some
inspiration from the Lamborghini Huracan Performante and its liberal use of
active aerodynamic components.
Beyond the R8 GT, it is inevitable that the rest of
the R8 range will benefit from the same visual updates. For some time, it was
believed that an entry-level R8 with a V6 engine was on the cards but
contradictory statements from the German marque leave the future of such a
model up in the air. Given the demand for the sole V10 model on offer, it could
be hard for Audi to justify diluting the R8 brand with a V6 variant. Or at
least that’s what we hope happens.
Either way, the facelifted Audi R8 range, including
the GT, should debut before the year is out.
