Audi gives 2012 R8 GT a $200K price tag
It's the lightest and fastest production sports car in Audi's lineup, and the only thing not to love about the 2012 Audi R8 GT would be its $196,800 price tag.
Only 90 race-inspired 2012 Audi R8 GTs will be headed to the U.S. market.
(Credit: Audi)The only thing not to love about the 2012 Audi R8 GT would be its price tag. Audi announced that the fastest and lightest production car in its lineup will start at $196,800, $4K more than a starter Ferrari California. Factor in the $1,250 destination charge, and you're pretty close to $200,000 before you factor in taxes, licensing, registration, and options. But it's about what you'd expect for a 560-horsepower supercar made of this much carbon fiber.
Generous use of the lightweight material is how the Audi R8 GT keeps the weight down. To put it in perspective, it's 180 pounds lighter than the Audi R8 5.2 Quattro coupe. The exotic vehicle features a modified 5.2-liter V-10 FSI engine that produces 560 horsepower (35 hp more than the R8 5.2 Quattro and the R8 Spyder 5.2 Quattro), paired with the R Tronic sequential manual transmission.
Weight savings, increased horsepower, and faster shifting times mean the Audi R8 GT produces a top track speed of 199 mph, and a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.6 seconds. Inspired by the Audi R8 LMS GT3 race car, the interior features a numbered gearshift knob and a steering wheel and handbrake in black leather with contrast stitching, limited-edition touches to provide a visual reminder of what $200K buys you these days.
If you like what you read and can afford to throw down, keep in mind that only 90 of the 333 supercars are headed for the United States.
