DUBAI, 21 September 2007 — Audi Middle East launched the R8, the first mid-engine sports car in Audi’s production car lineup, at a ceremony held in Dubai recently.
The arrival of R8 sports car in region, the first of its kind from the German premium can manufacturer, has received an incredible amount of attention and “has certainly acted as a brand ambassador for our whole model line up,” said Ernst Hasbach, managing director, Audi Middle East. An Audi spokesperson said that the orders for the Audi R8 sports car have already exceeded the allocation by at least double. “Our allocation for the GCC region is eighty R8 sport cars, but the orders have already reached its double. Many of the orders are from the Emirates and Saudi Arabia,” the official added.
The Audi R8, which costs AED415,000, is more than 70 percent hand-built at Audi’s Neckarsulm factory and features an aluminum body frame, the Quattro permanent four-wheel drive, the Audi magnetic ride damping system, an FSI direct injection mid-engine visible through a glass compartment, the optional R tronic shift-by-wire gearbox as well as LED headlights and daytime running lights. The R8 shares some components — its mid-engine, aluminum-intensive structure — with the Audi-based Lamborghini Gallardo.
The car’s 425-hp V8 puts up solid numbers: 4.6 seconds from zero to 60 mph and a 186-mph top speed. The all- LED headlights for the R8 are a world first in the electronics. The R8 is the first vehicle in the world to offer this innovative lighting technology as standard. The field of electronics offers a wide range of new options. Audi is among the leader for electronic driver assistance systems that promote active vehicle safety. The R8 combines its sports car performance with an equal measure of everyday suitability and an exclusive mix of equipment specification.
There is an inbuilt 140-watt audio system, an alarm system, automatic air conditioning and an easy-to-read driver information system with integral stopwatch for taking laps.
Audi Middle East reported a sales growth of 31.4 percent across the region at 3,223 units in the first half of the year, from January to June 2007 (2006: 2,452). With a total of over a third of sales, the UAE remains the strongest market followed by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
