This 1500 HP Audi R8 Gets a Gated Manual & All-Wheel-Drive
Underground Racing brings us a very special 1500 HP Audi R8 Decennium, which ditches its DCT for a six-speed gated manual transmission.
Audi aims to become a fully electric brand by the year 2033. The German car manufacturer also confirmed that the successor of its R8 supercar would get an electric-only powertrain. We reckon that it will be a while before Audi introduces another flagship supercar with a manual gearbox. Till then, good folks like Underground Racing are doing their best to ensure that enthusiasts can still experience the thrilling performance of the mid-engine Audi via a gated manual transmission.
The North Carolina outfit recently swapped out the dual-clutch automatic gearbox of an R8 Decennium with a six-speed gated MT. The car in question is a 2020 model year R8 which also gets a twin-turbo treatment. The R8 Decennium’s V10 motor could produce 620 HP of power and 427.8 lb-ft of torque in its factory tune.
For the uninitiated, this is also the same powerplant that propels Lamborghini Huracan. Underground Racing claims that with the help of its UR Twin Turbo system, the 5.2-liter motor of this R8 can now produce 1500 horsepower.
The gated manual sends power to all four wheels, which retains its factory-like driveability according to UR.
The atelier also uses UR’s proprietary JRR engine management system to keep all that power in check. Thanks to the EMS, this 2020 R8 Decennium also gets a drift mode, Rolling Antilag on paddle, and launch control. Other drivetrain upgrades include a UR Street clutch and a UR billet intake which flaunts a polished finish.
The car also received a Performante Center-lock wheel conversion and now rides on a set of Performante wheels, which get a custom finish. Dallas, Texas resident Danny is the proud owner of this unique ride and also happens to be a long-time customer of Underground Racing. In addition to a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Huracan Performante, Danny gave his first-generation Audi R8 Underground Racing’s twin-turbo treatment.
So far, underground Racing has not disclosed any information regarding the cost of this conversion. Nevertheless, the tuner has confirmed via its official Facebook page that it will soon release a video of the build, probably sharing more information about the car. Underground Racing already has a plan in place for its next project.
In its Facebook post, Underground Racing writes, “If anyone is interested in building a manual 6 Speed Twin Turbo R8 or Huracan like this please don’t hesitate to call or email anytime.”
Image Source: Underground Racing
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