Audi R8

Audi R8
Audi RS8
Manufacturer Audi
Parent company Volkswagen Group
Production 2006–present
Class Sports car
Body style 2-door coupé
Engine 4.2 L V8
Transmission 6-speed manual
6-speed semi-automatic
Length 4431 mm (174.4 in)
Width 1904 mm (74.9 in)
Height 1249 mm (49.2 in)
Curb weight 1560 kg (3439 lb)
Similar Lamborghini Gallardo
Porsche 911 Carrera 4
Ferrari F430

The Audi R8 is a mid-engined sports car released by the German automaker Audi in 2006. Audi announced in 2005 that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car would be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans Quattro concept car, which appeared at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show and 2003 International Motor Show. The R8 was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006. There is some confusion with the name which the car shares with the Le Mans winning R8 LMP. Originally, many thought the car would be called the R9 (as there is a gap in numbering left when Audi announced the R8's successor, the diesel-powered R10).
Contents

1 Technical Details
2 Future upgrades
3 References
4 External links

Technical Details

The Audi R8 will be available in mid-2007 with a 4.2 L V8 making 420 hp, as seen in the Audi RS4. Pricing for the 420 bhp model starts from €104,400 or £77,000. The base price in the US is $109,000.[1] The R8 has a dry weight of 1560 kg (3439 lb). A 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of about 4.2 seconds is possible with a top speed of about 301 km/h (187 mph).

The quarter mile time for the R8 is 12.6 seconds and roadhandling on the 300 ft skidpad is 0.98g.[2]

As Audi owns Lamborghini, the R8's architecture such as layout and chassis is based on that of the Lamborghini Gallardo and the two vehicles share transmissions. The R8 is made distinct by its exterior styling, cabin, engine options, and pricing.

The Audi R8 will also be the first production vehicle to feature all-LED headlights.[3]

Future upgrades

The 2-seat coupe will be made available to the U.S. in the summer of 2007. In addition, an open-top, Porsche Carrera GT-like model will follow in 2008.

For 2009 a second, more powerful engine variant that uses a 520-hp 5.2 L V10, an enlarged version of the Lamborghini Gallardo's engine and already seen in the Audi S8, is rumoured but not confirmed by Audi. Audi is currently in the process of developing a new turbocharged 5.2 L V10 engine for the future Audi RS6, and there is a possibility that this engine will make its way into the R8, dependent on marketing decisions. Test mules of this vehicle are developing well in excess of 600 bhp with the turbocharged 5.2 L V10. If this were to happen it is almost certain that this would create an RS8.

According to some sources[4] the 6.0 liter V12 TDI diesel engine from Audi Q7 has been confirmed to Audi R8 as well. This would make Audi R8 by far the fastest diesel powered car in the world with 0 - 100 km/h acceleration in less than 4 seconds. However the V12 diesel found in the Q7 is unlikely to make it in due to the fact that the engine will only fit under the Q7's hood.

The Smart Building

Smart buildings or intelligent homes were futuristic ideas from science fiction books and films depicting the time when our sanctuary would be like a living machine, making decisions and adjustments, even to the point of prediction, in our living and working space in order to meet our needs. The Jetsons cartoon show we all know and love typically comes to mind when we speak of the intelligent home and quite recently the television series Eureka shows how an intelligent home would look like in a more realistic (non-cartoon) scenario.

The definition of a smart building has continuously changed, depending on the current technology of the times. From the 70s to the present, smart buildings or intelligent homes have had several evolutions - first was just incorporating energy efficiency in building designs, then to using personal computers in controlling the various systems inside and finally the emphasis on the building making occupants more efficient.

Early on, building intelligence was limited to its economic viability and the existing technology where customized devices were needed to implement a smart building. In contrast, a lot of today's commercial information technology is now useable in a smart building. Like wireless technology, which is used in computer, networks are also found in security cameras, various sensors and controls. Modern appliances too already come with network interfaces, which can easily be hooked up to the smart building's network backbone - from refrigerators and air conditioners to elevators are only some of these smart appliances already in the market.

Another of today's current technologies incorporated into a smart building and intelligent home is the Internet. With the Internet, remote controlling or monitoring of a structure is easily implemented without having to rely on proprietary systems. This again allows the use of commercially available products and even free software solutions. Any computer with a browser that has an internet connection can be used to monitor a web enabled smart building system. It has also enabled online access to "live" data like weather forecasts, which helps the smart building determine internal environment temperature as well as future power usage. The term "convergence" describes this blending of building systems with information technology and the Internet.

Today's technology has also produced not only devices and appliances but also smart materials. Where standard materials are static, these smart materials are dynamic and responsive. Some of these smart materials are:

. Smart windows. There are smart windows that can control the amount of light that passes through it. When electricity is applied to its special coating, the properties of the window will change varying from either more or less light coming through.

There are also other smart window technologies with special coatings that let light in but keep the heat out.

. Photovoltaic roofing materials or "Solar Shingles". Early adoption of solar power was to replace water heaters. But today, Solar Shingles are now commercially available to generate power from sunlight for the building or the home. And these are designed to look like regular shingles instead of those unsightly solar panels.

. Smart bricks. Just like regular bricks but with wireless sensors and battery packed inside it which helps to monitor the building's temperature, vibration and movement, wirelessly.

. Smart cement. As concrete gets deformed or stressed, these can be detected and monitored to help assess the structural integrity of a building. This is most helpful especially following an earthquake.

This dream of an intelligent building that offers the utmost comfort and cost efficiency by managing temperature, indoor air quality, lighting, security, structural integrity and appliances is slowly becoming a reality. And it also helps save our environment as well.