Audi Sportscar Experience 2013 - 2013 R8 V10 Plus driven

06/04/2013 - 09:38 | Audi | Gaurav Malik

Indian Autos Blog attended the Audi Sportscar Experience 2013 at the Buddh International Circuit this week and sampled the Audi R8 V10 Plus. Read along to find out more on the program and about our experience behind the wheel of the newly launched supercar.

Audi R8 V10 Plus frontAudi R8 V10 Plus taillamp

The Audi Sportscar Experience now has a more complete lineup of cars including the S4, TT, RS5, R8 V10 Coupe/convertible and the R8 V10 Plus. Launched in 2012, the Audi Sportscar Experience is a fully-guided two-step program that will hone your track skills. The program is held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida and the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) race track in Chennai.

Another encouraging sign this year is that the prices have dropped. They now range from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 98,000 depending on whether you opt for the basic or advanced training.

We were put through three stages which were the slalom, the ABS test and hot laps with assisted driving to brush up our driving skills.

Audi R8 V10 Plus center consoleAudi R8 V10 Plus steering wheel

Our regular followers will know that Audi launched the R8 V10 Plus yesterday and the car now packs an even bigger punch, hosts a new gearbox, uses more CFRP (Carbon Sigma) light weight materials. Under the skin, the sport suspension is now adjustable, ceramic brakes are standard, the engine is more powerful revving until 8,700rpm, and the gearbox is a twin-clutch assembly.

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On the outside, full LED headlamps, new front bumper the low stance and the new alloy wheels sharpen looks. On the inside, everything seems familiar except for the larger shift paddles.

Audi R8 V10 Plus dials lit upAudi R8 V10 Plus cabin

That said, we went on to drive the car around the track and completed the slalom, ABS test and did three timed laps.

Audi R8 V10 Plus engineAudi R8 V10 Plus rear fascia

In the manual mode, the car doesn’t upshift even if you are revving it to the redline and doesn’t downshift until its in the right speed for the lower gear. The powertrain package allowed us to do fast laps without worrying about the clutch or the engine heating up.

The car keeps planted, has an exceptional amount of traction and even with such a powerful engine, it feels in control all the time. The overall dynamics have improved and there’s noticeable improvements over the standard V10 to justify the bigger price tag.

Audi R8 V10 Plus rear wheelAudi R8 V10 Plus LED taillight

By the evening, we understood that compared to the V10, the gears shift quicker, the engine revs louder and the suspension is a tad bit stiffer on the V10 Plus. In short, new R8 V10 Plus is indeed a performance-focused version of the standard R8 V10.

The standard R8 V10 has a less powerful engine, a single clutch gearbox and standard alloy wheels, but, I personally would prefer the unrefined gear changes of the standard V10 that punch you in the back each time you shift one from the redline! It’s more like a mind and heart decision, the standard V10 is unadulterated fun while the V10 Plus is quicker, refined and faster. However that untamed aggression has gone missing in the latter.

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