Porsche has the 911 GT3 and now Audi has just released their new lightweight, limited-edition Audi R8 GT. And just like in the most hardcore of Porsches, this stripped-down version of Audi’s favourite supercar benefits from a significant amount of weight-saving tweaks to help improve both acceleration and handling. Already benefitting from an all-aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) chassis that tips the scales at a miserly 210kg, Ingolstadt’s engineers have pulled out all the stops to give the GT a 100kg advantage over the standard model. Audi claims to have burnt the fat off almost every major mechanical component but the most noteworthy modifications can be found in the car’s new carbon fibre body panels, thinner front windscreen and special polycarbonate rear windows. All this effort has culminated in a final curb weight of 1 525-kilograms.

Paired up to an extra-potent version of the Four Ring’s 5.2-liter V10 FSI engine (412 kW versus the standard model’s 386kW), the gravity cheating qualities of the Audi R8 GT will see it sprint to 100km/h in a mere 3.6-seconds and reach a claimed, 911 Turbo-beating top-speed of 320km/h. Unfortunately you’ll have to achieve these figures by using the terrible R-tronic sequential manual gearbox as the slicker, six-speed manual has strangely not been made available for this speedy special edition. It’s a real shame because, having driven the R8 with both transmissions, I can tell you that the R-tronic really detracts from the otherwise sublime driving experience that this car dishes out.

Regardless, stealing exterior styling cues from the gorgeous R8 LMS endurance racing car and fitted with a bespoke Alcantara-stitched interior (see below), there’s no denying that the Audi R8 V10 is going to be one of those cars we forever lust over; a car destined to adorn the desktops of office computers around the world. Only 333 examples are going to be built and each will wear a price-tag of approximately €193,000 (R1 891 400).