European spies have caught the 2017 Audi R8 Spyder on the road yet again, only this time it wasn’t wearing any camo.
Aside from the very obviously missing roof, the new Spyder’s exterior differs very little from the coupe’s. The major styling difference is apparent in the rear deck, where the coupe’s fastback taper is abandoned to accommodate the drop-top.
The new Spyder also looks a lot like the outgoing model (also no surprise), right down to the stylized ventilation panels over the mid-mounted V10. Spot it from the rear, and only the inverted grille and tail lamp assemblies really give it away.
Underneath, everything is expected to be carried over from the coupe. The Lamborghini-derived 5.2-liter FSI V10 engine rated at 540 horsepower and 398 lb-ft. of torque will be the base engine, linked exclusively to a seven-speed S tronic transmission controlled by shift paddles.
There don’t appear to be any real surprises in the interior either, where the coupe’s styling and control interfaces seem to have made the transition almost completely unaltered save for whatever switches are used to manipulate the soft top.
The R8 V10 plus should also be available in roadster form, giving buyers access to a hotter V10 that has been tuned to generate 610 horsepower and a healthy 413 lb-ft. of torque. The coupe plus is capable of reaching 62 mph from a stop in 3.2 seconds before going on to a top speed of 205 mph. The Spyder’s less aerodynamic body will likely stunt those figures slightly.
We’re also still waiting on information to confirm the R8′s new entry-level engine now that the V8 has been discontinued. Rumors seem to indicate a turbocharged five- or six-cylinder engine, but despite some leaks that seem to confirm the latter, Audi remains tight-lipped.
Spy photos by Chris Doane.
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