Audi R8 GT Spyder gets early unveiling at 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans

The new Audi R8 GT Spyder got an early unveiling outside the Audi Racing Pavillion at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans on Friday evening. The 552-hp V10 drop-top rocket uses carbon-fiber panels and a lightened interior to lower weight compared with the standard R8 5.2 FSI quattro Spyder. Audi claims 62 mph arrives in just 3.8 seconds, and the car tops out at 197 mph.

All of that horsepower travels through a six-speed sequential-manual gearbox with paddle shifters, along with an all-wheel-drive system that uses a viscous coupling and rear-wheel-drive bias. Rounding out the package, Audi says updated aerodynamics versus those of the R8 Spyder help increase high-speed downforce. The package includes a dual-lip front splitter and a different rear diffuser.

How about that roof? Audi says it opens in a mere 20 seconds, and it can be dropped at speeds of up to 30 mph, after which it tucks itself beneath a carbon-fiber trunk.

As with the R8 GT coupe, the R8 GT Spyder will be assembled in a run of just 333 cars at Audi's Neckarsulm manufacturing plant in Germany.

Greg Kable contributed to this report.

By Andrew Stoy