수입차 시장에서 최근 가장 "핫한" 브랜드 아우디가 이번에는 고성능 스포츠카 R8을 처음 공개했다.

아우디는 올해 서울모터쇼에서 외국 브랜드 중 가장 많은 22개의 자동차를 선보이는데 그 중 가장 눈길을 끄는 것이 아우디의 슬로건 "기술을 통한 진보"를 구현하고 있는 스포츠카 R8 쿠페와 스파이더이다.

R8은 원래 레이싱카로 계발되어 르망레이스 등에서 우승을 하기도 했고 승용차로는 2006년 파리모터쇼를 통해서 데뷔했다.

이번에 새롭게 선보이는 R8 쿠페는 하드탑, 2도어 스포츠카로 카본재질을 이용해 무게를 35킬로그램이나 감량했다. 5,200cc 모델로 550마력과 시속 최대 317킬로미터를 달릴 수 있다. 제로백은 3.5초만에 주파한다.

(코리아헤럴드 / 이지윤 기자)

<관련 영문 기사>

Audi accelerates with R8 sports car

By Lee Ji-yoon

For Audi, the hottest-selling luxury car brand in Korea, the year 2012 was stunning with its car sales almost doubling from a year ago. This year the carmaker aims higher, rolling out its sportier, high-performance new models.

At the heart of the ambitious plan is the R8 sports car. At Seoul Motor Show that kicked off Thursday, Audi unveiled a total of 22 vehicles – the largest number as a foreign brand – including two Korean debuts, the R8 V10 Coupe and Spyder.

“Introducing more vehicles than other imported brands proves our commitment to Seoul Motor Show and the Korean market,” said Audi Korea managing director Johannes Thammer.

“We hope visitors to experience the essence of Audi’s corporate slogan 
“Vorsprung durch Technik – Progress through Technology.”

The Audi R8 debuted first in 2003 and was originally developed as a race car concept that also able to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The road car was launched at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.

The new Audi R8 is lighter and more powerful. 

The Coupe, the two-door and two-seat hardtop version, has reduced its weight by 35 kilograms compared to its predecessor by using carbon materials on side mirrors, engine covers and side blades.

The 5,200cc V10 direct fuel injection engine offers 550 horsepower and a maximum speed of 317 kilometers per hour. It hustles from zero to 100 kilometers per hour within just 3.5 seconds.

The new Spyder, the two-door convertible with a fabric roof, also boasts a 525 horsepower and a zero-to-100 kilometer-per-hour time of 3.8 seconds.

Together with the new R8, Audi Korea will showcase this week all Audi vehicles that the luxury brand is currently marketing such as its flagship sedans A4, A6, A8, coupes A5 and A7, high-performance models S4, S6, S7, S8, RS5 and the SUVs Q3, Q5 and Q7.

“All our passion and commitment is not just for ourselves, it is for our customers,” the CEO said, introducing the Audi brand’s three key elements – creativity both in design and technology, sportiness that is best represented by the R8 models and sophistication, which means attention to all details.

The Korean unit poured 14 new models last year into the local market, elevating its car sales here by 46.2 percent to 15,126 units.

The new Korean chief, who took office in December, earlier predicted a further 6 to 8 percent growth to sell some 16,000 vehicles this year, calling the year 2013 “a year for consolidation.”
(jylee@heraldcorp.com)