Audi pulls the wraps off its new, updated R8 sports car. More power, sharper looks, new twin-clutch gearbox.

Audi has revealed its new, updated R8. The 2013 model year R8 gets a host of subtle tweaks to keep it on top form – it might not feel like it, but it’s five years since the R8 coupe first went on sale, upsetting Porsche dealers in the process. The updates affect both coupe and Spyder models. Outside, it’s Audi’s typical facelift fare – new bumpers, diffusers and LED headlight designs – while dynamic tweaks aren’t revolutionary; quattro all-wheel-drive remains, combined with your choice of the 424bhp 4.2-litre V8 and 518bhp 5.2-litre V10 engines.

Keen drivers will be pleased to know the unloved R-tronic gearbox has been ditched, however. While the R8’s fantastic six-speed manual remains standard, the two-pedal option is now a much smoother and more useable seven-speed S-tronic twin-clutch transmission.
As well as being a more attractive proposition, it cuts CO2 emissions (by up to 22g/km) and 0-62mph times (up to 0.3sec). The R8 V10 can now hit the accelerative benchmark in a supercar-like 3.6sec. Quicker still, though, is a new R8 Plus model. It boasts an uprated version of the V10 engine, its 542bhp output coming close to 2011’s hardcore R8 GT model. It hits 62mph in 3.5sec, on its way to a 197mph top speed. The Plus also gets lighter alloy wheels, extra carbonfibre bits and reduce