In September last year, Audi has introduced to the public the production version of the Audi R8. And from that time, the release of the R8 has been anticipated much by performance car enthusiasts.
In the US, the first R8 will be sold in an auction that will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The auction will be held at the 15th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation party which in turn will be held to celebrate the Academy Awards. All the proceeds of the auction will go into the foundation to help it fight HIV/AIDS. The R8 will be the third vehicle from Audi which will be auctioned at the said event. Last year, two Audi Q7 units were sold during the said event which allowed some $280,000 to enter the funds of the mentioned gathering.
The bidding for the Audi R8 will start at $100,000 and this amount can be placed by attendees at the said party. They can put in their bids through the phone, by a proxy, or anytime until the end of the auction for those who will bid on eBay Live Auctions at www.ebayliveauctions.com. Jamie Niven, the Vice Chairman of Sotheby's will be conducting the live auction during the event while the online auction will be hosted by Julian's Auctions. The Audi R8 will be delivered to the winning bidder by July this year. The winner will also have the distinction of being the owner of the first R8 in North America where the R8 is planned to be launched in fall of this year. The price for the R8 when it hits showrooms is still not set but it is somewhere between $130,000 and $150,000.
In connection with the upcoming auction, Audi has recently concluded an auction on eBay. This one is for the chance to test drive the Audi R8 for one whole day. The winning bid is $12,601. The proceeds of the said auction were also given to the EJAF. The winner and one guest will have the Audi R8 for one whole day on the 24th of this month. They can test the ability of the R8 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, then after burning rubber on the tracks, they can drive the R8 on public roads and turn heads in the process. The winner can also attend the EJAF Academy Awards Viewing Party on the 25th.
The price spent by the winner to have the chance to drive the R8 for one day shows that the R8 has already a huge fan base and this does not come as a surprise since the R8 is one great looking car. Not only does it look good though, it is also one of the most capable sports cars out there. The power of the Audi R8 comes from a massive 4.2-liter FSI V8 engine which is capable of giving out 420 horsepower. This power and the light frame of the sports car give it good acceleration. The R8 can reach 60 miles per hour from a standstill in just 4.6 seconds. The car also employs high quality parts, as durable as , which gives it great performance. One concrete example of that is the six-speed manual transmission which facilitates the smooth transfer of power from the engine to the drive wheels.
And since the R8 is an Audi, the interior is expected to exude a luxurious feel. While the car performs at a very high level, the comfort of the driver and the passenger as well is also given much consideration. The perfect combination of luxury and performance in the R8 will surely fetch a high price in the upcoming auction.
