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2013 Audi R8 Spied In Coupe And Spyder Form

Audi's 2013 R8 supercar has been spied testing again this week. This follows the release of a new 'fifth anniversary' promotional video offering a brief glimpse of the coming update.

Giving the supercoupe (and convertible) a final going

Mike Stevens

05:1525 May 2012

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2013 Audi R8 Spied In Coupe And Spyder Form

Audi's 2013 R8 supercar has been spied testing again this week. This follows the release of a new 'fifth anniversary' promotional video offering a brief glimpse of the coming update.

Giving the supercoupe (and convertible) a final going-over before its all-new replacement arrives, the updated R8 will get revised headlights, along with subtle changes to grille and bumpers.

Whether the 4.2 litre V8 engine will get a boost in power remains to be seen, but a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is expected to replace the current model's six-speed box.

The anniversary video clip offers a look back at the various incarnations of the R8 over its relatively short lifetime, including the track-only race cars.

As for the all-new next-generation R8, Audi's hero car will reportedly adopt a carbon-fibre and aluminium architecture, replacing the current model's all-alloy frame.

Audi Chief Engineer Michael Dick is quoted as saying the new R8 will be around 100kg lighter than the current car, yet will have up to 30 percent more torsional rigidity.

For the next R8, Audi can also tap into sister company Lamborghini's expertise with carbon fibre.

The recently launched Lamborghini Aventador is built around a carbon-fibre chassis. With the current Audi R8 built around the Lamborghini Gallardo's aluminium chassis, it's not hard to imagine further engineering tie-ins between the two companies.