Caught with its top off! – The R8 Spyder

The soft-top R8 Spyder was unveiled earlier this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It uses the same 525 PS engine as the new V10 but will give owners the thrill of top-less driving. The extra weight of the fabric roof (a mere 30KG) is off-set by new Carbon-fibre composite body panels. The roof is of a similar Z-fold design to the TT and A3 Cabriolet and retracts under its Carbon-composite cover in 19 seconds. It can even be operated at speeds of up to 31mph, not that you will spend much time at those speeds! The car is capable of 0-62 in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 194mph.

Prices will start at around £112,000 for the manual and £117,000 for the R-Tronic. The order books will open in November and first ones are likely to reach us in the first quarter of 2010 just in time for the first of the “10” plates.

The R8 V10 has always had a heart-pounding roar that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, but hearing that with the top down – an experience not to be missed!