Caught: Is This an Even More Powerful R8 Testing?

Spy photographers have caught a new R8 testing and it features a lot of exciting details. The sum of those details leads us to believe that there’s a new, even more powerful version of the R8 on its way.

Although this looks like a perfectly normal R8 at first glance, you may have noticed a nifty new set of wheels on this test car. But the really good details happen at the stern.

The engine exhales through a new pair of very big, oval tailpipes. Unlike the R8’s regular, angular exhaust tips, oval tailpipes suggest are reserved only RS cars, so their appearance promises performance, indeed.

Meanwhile, between the pipes, it looks like there’s a new diffusor, to aid with downforce, again promising higher performance. And just slightly above that, there’s a mesh grille, potentially for better cooling.

Finally, a thorough look through these pictures makes it look like the front tires are a little slimmer than the rears. This, of course, could be an optical illusion, but if true, along with the new diffusor, it suggests that Audi Sport is very concerned about rear-end grip. That could mean that this is another, hotter, version of the Rear Wheel Series (whose name “Series” is equally suggestive).

The R8 RWS premiered in Frankfurt last month and is described as an R8 for hardcore fans. The R8 RWS only powers the rear wheels, which helps save weight but does hamper acceleration. The less obvious upshot is that the rear will step out more readily, making it slidey fun-machine.

Whatever the case, we’ll continue to follow the story as it develops.

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