We had assumed the R8 GT RWD was the swan song for Audi’s supercar but that’s surprisingly not the case. A new Final Edition based on the coupe is coming out in Japan where only eight cars will be sold. Painted in a matte Ibis Whit color, the mid-engine machine is a hotter Performance variant with Quattro all-wheel drive.
The R8 Japan Final Edition gets 20-inch wheels with matte bronze spokes polished to resemble gold, combined with red calipers for the ceramic brakes. The naturally aspirated V10 stunner has mirror caps in carbon fiber, much like the front spoiler lip and side blades. In addition, the rear wing, diffuser, and side skirts have received the same lightweight treatment.
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Audi Japan also made some changes on the inside where the driver-focused cabin has a two-tone theme with Black and Alabaster White. The seats come wrapped in Nappa leather while the headliner and the area behind the seats is covered in Alcantara. Rounding off the tweaks is the door sill trim denoting the model’s exclusivity. Those who buy the car also receive a commemorative plate with the VIN number.
Known by its full name as the Audi R8 Coupe Japan Final Edition, the supercar’s epilogue in the Land of the Rising Sun costs 35,080,000 yen. At current exchange rates, that works out to about $247,000.
Although the first-generation model was also available with a V8 engine and a lovely gated manual gearbox, its successor came only in V10 guise with an automatic. However, an entry-level variant was considered during the R8’s eight-year run. It had a turbocharged inline-five borrowed from the RS3, a manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. It had less horsepower but more torque than the NA V10 while being “cleaner and almost as quick,” according to Marcos Marques, Project Manager eFuels at Porsche.
The R8 faces an imminent retirement and follows in the footsteps of Audi’s other sports car, the TT. As you may recall, the last Tourist Trophy was assembled in November. The Four Rings have hinted these iconic nameplates could return one day as purely electric models but don’t hold your breath to see them anytime soon.