<ul><li><a href="http://www.dpccars.com/car-videos-08/08-09-08page-560HP-Audi-R8-MTM-Supercharger.htm">http://www.dpccars.com/car-videos-08/08-09-08page-560HP-Audi-R8-MTM-Supercharger.htm</a</li></ul>

<img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n150/Kareems_2006/audr8_mtm_08_1_gallery_image_large.jpg">
<img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n150/Kareems_2006/audr8_mtm_08_2_gallery_image_large.jpg">

C&amp;D Test Drives MTM R8R.

Un-civilizing the eminently civil R8.


We don't think that we go too far in stating that the Audi R8 is a near-perfect supercar. It looks great, with the inimitable proportions of a mid-engine sports car topped off with Audi's trademark styling language and attention to detail. Fit and finish are top-notch--and it's comfortable enough to gobble hun
dreds of miles without ever wearing out the driver. Moreover, given the mid-mounted engine placement, it behaves in a forgiving and benign way. In fact, it feels so planted to the road that it could easily handle more than the 420 horsepower it serves up.

More Power? Yes, Please

This leads directly to the sole complaint we have about the R8--its relative lack of power in the exalted world of supercars. Even so, its acceleration is good, right up there with the Porsche 911 Carrera S, and it will cut through the lofty 300-km/h (186 mph) barrier, if barely. But other mid-engine cars like the R8's Lamborghini Gallardo sibling or the Ferrari F430, are significantly faster. Even high-powered sedans and station wagons, such as the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG wagon, can out-accelerate the R8.

If there's a power issue with an Audi, German enthusiasts have long known where to find the cure: at Roland Mayer's MTM tuning house in Wettstetten, Bavaria, just a few kilometers down the road from Audi's headquarters in Ingolstadt. Mayer is a former Audi engineer who took part in the development of the legendary first-generation Quattro. He founded MTM (Motoren Technik Mayer) in 1990 and has gained a reputation for offering a wide range of tuning options, from reprogramming turbo-diesels to extreme vehicles like the Bimoto, a first-generation Audi TT with two engines rated at over 500 horsepower each. That car has broken 244 mph at the Papenburg test track in northern Germany, and Mayer aims to go even beyond that.

Give It a Little More Air

Mayer's cure for the R8: supercharge it. The MTM R8 Supercharged uses an intercooled, twin-screw Lysholm unit bolted onto Audi's high-revving 4.2-liter FSI V-8. Operating with a maximum boost of 8 psi, it pushes horsepower from 420 horsepower at 7800 rpm to a claimed 560 at 7750. Maximum torque is improved from 317 lb-ft at 4500 rpm to 413 lb-ft at 5500 rpm.

The chassis and Quattro four-wheel-drive system, which favors sending power to the rear wheels, remain unchanged. But MTM offers 20-inch wheels, a high-performance braking system, and some aerodynamic enhancements, such as a front lip and a diffuser. It all looks quite sophisticated and could have been done by Audi itself. The interior is transformed with two carbon seats, padded with separate cushions. They look futuristic and are far more comfortable than we expected.

We drove the car on its home turf in Germany, and it will be available to U.S. customers via Hoppen Motorsport of Sarasota, Florida--although it must be said that Roland Mayer doesn't expect a lot of U.S. takers.

Pay Attention to This One

The power and torque boost completely transforms the R8. Docility and good manners go right out of the window while this white monster disappears on the horizon, leaving rubber strips and an incredible carpet of sound behind--the optional exhaust system is so loud that you'd better have the papers with you all the time to prove to the incredulous officers that it is actually legal. The quadruple pipes, which jut out provocatively, emit a menacing, deep tone reminiscent of an American V-8. Mayer plans to develop a variation with a higher, more "mechanical" pitch to it.

The MTM R8 Supercharged is still very drivable, as the chassis can easily handle the extra power. But it demands more attention. It's a good thing the R8 comes with the full package of driver assistance and stability control systems, but know that they get less rest in the supercharged R8. It remains a very balanced and essentially forgiving car, but you definitely get to the limits a lot more quickly.

You may want to skip the uplevel stereo, as the blaring composition of engine, supercharger, and exhaust sound is just about impenetrable. You are also well-advised to watch the speedometer far more closely than in the standard R8. The 0-to-62-mph sprint takes an estimated 3.9 seconds versus an Audi-quoted 4.6 seconds for the standard R8, and 125 mph is settled in 12.5 seconds, according to MTM. (U.S.-spec R8s we've tested have reached 60 mph in as quick as 4.0 seconds and 120 mph in 14.3 seconds.) The MTM R8 will pull up to a claimed 196 mph, 9 mph more than the standard R8.

It's not just numbers. With MTM's enhancements, this practical, everyday supercar becomes a serious contender, out to run with the best. At city and highway speeds, it seems virtually impossible to stay within the speed limit. Throttle response is exceptionally aggressive, and you merely need to look at the gas pedal to make the MTM R8 leap forward. On the autobahn, the feared Merc AMGs and BMW M cars lose their clout entirely. Push the pedal down at 120 mph, and you get a kick in the back, not a smooth massage like in the standard R8. Very few cars have impressed us more with their acceleration, and none with the sound--you'll get to enjoy the MTM R8's shout of triumph after it has left you behind.

An Affordable Tuner Car? Not This One

This car is not cheap. The supercharger kit from Hoppen runs $57,900, and four exhaust options start from $1350 for a set of stainless tips and go to $9345 for the full MTM exhaust with black ceramic-coated tips. Twenty-inch Bimoto wheels add $7860 and upgraded brakes cost yet another $4275. U.S. pricing isn't yet available for the aero package or carbon seats, but you can be sure they'll cost a bundle, too. While the expense is likely partly due to the unfavorable dollar-to-euro exchange rate, it all adds up to a big chunk of change; a standard 2009 R8 starts at $115,800 in the U.S., for reference.

A factory alternative is around the corner: a V-10-powered version of the R8, which we've seen testing, will have well over 500 horsepower and share its engine architecture with the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, which now has an Audi-derived engine. (The Gallardo Spyder carries on with the previous, Italian-engineered 513-hp V-10 for now.) The identifying feature of the V-10 version will be huge twin exhaust pipes and jutting side air intakes to replace the V-8's quadruple pipes and svelte side profile. The factory V-10 will enhance the R8's performance, no doubt. And it will be far more civilized that the MTM R8 Supercharged.

Perhaps too civilized--but that's where Roland Mayer comes in.

Jarod.

the modifications are over 50% of the price of the vehicle. then again, I suppose if I could afford a R8, this might be small change for some of you owners.

"The supercharger kit from Hoppen runs $57,900, and four exhaust options start from $1350 for a set of stainless tips and go to $9345 for the full MTM exhaust with black ceramic-coated tips. Twenty-inch Bimoto wheels add $7860 and upgraded brakes cost yet another $4275."

They are just greedy *****. Similar high quality superchargers and turbos kits made for the best Porsches, cost less than $15,000 fully installed retail! There is is NOTHING unique to MTM and their knowledge of superchargers.

The mid-engine Ford GT Supercar uses the same hi quality Lysholm supercharger manufacturer for their cars, and that complete kit is less than $8000.00 USD!

MotorDyne sells the same supercharger kit for the same Audi 4.2L engine in the Audi S4 4.2L for $13,900 installed.

MTM's crazy prices will just inspire some great USA race car tuners to develope an even better kit for R8 at just a fraction of MTM's ridiculous prices.<ul><li><a href="http://www.opcon.se/index.asp?sPage=1&amp;langID=1&amp;cID=14">http://www.opcon.se/index.asp?sPage=1&amp;langID=1&amp;cID=14</a</li></ul>

and tell us your experience with Mr.Hack.

Of course it's expensive. R&amp;D cost money no matter how you look at it. Why would they sell it at a lower price if they can't recoup their money. I'm sure tuners will in the long run but until they develop it, MTM is the only source with a name tried and true. And to add Motodyne in there makes me just consider this post a troll post. All this from the same person who's trying to discredit derKimbo.

<center><img src="http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/321799015_yNmwf-M.jpg"></center><p>
Hey I'm a long time Porsche person, and I learn my knowledge from track driving. I'm not a Manila poser. You have a tech question for me about anything I write about, please ask it.
PS.. In Europe both Novidem and SKN-Tuning are also using the same basic supercharger and same design layout, and producing the same HP numbers for kits that cost less. I hate to see some well healed guy with his great new R8 get taken by MTM simply because they only see stuff about MTM. Big marketing does not equal real quality.

Look for the 2nd 6 S4 Shootout and read about their S/C.

Bodhii i respect the fact that you are a "porsche person." However you need to find another company to promote when bashing MTM. Motodyne has been viewed as one of the worst supposed "tuners" in the performance aftermarket for as long as i can remember.

And if by "great USA race car tuners" you mean motodyne... where are they located? they dont even list an address on the website. Some actual US tuners have been trying to release an audi v8 supercharger for many years now.. and people are still waiting.

Another note... Quoting Hip Hop songs on the main page of the website is most likely not the best way to attract customers to your make believe shop.

So in all.. if your a "killer and/or hundred dollar biller" and "your gun goes click clack" while "your out in the streets that are murder"

and you would love to purchase the most highly engineered performance part for your 100k car please visit the link below.<ul><li><a href="http://www.motodyne.com/index.html">http://www.motodyne.com/index.html</a</li></ul>

is that the same as a "killer" or "hundred dollar biller"? according to your website

LOL,.. Yes,.. I been there and I do that. :D Like I said, if you have a tech question for me about anything I write about, please ask it.

How do you manage to stick your head that much further up your ass each week?

Sorry but no one on this or any other forum who has seen your previous posts would dare ask you any technical questions - especially considering that most of your posts are asking "how does this work, how long will this last, where can I get this?" or are of an insulting and argumentative nature. You cannot even tell the difference between a Lysholm Supercharger (MTM) and a Centrifugal Supercharger (Novidem, SKN Tuning - which comes from VF Engineering - which comes from Evolution Motorsports), yet state above they're all the same basic configuration.

What's slightly even more worrying, are the emails I've recieved from people whom have met you in person stating your even more mental off the forums; that and your driving ability leaves much to be desired.

Yep, I'm new to the Audi world, and know nothing of Motodyne. The R8's exceptional design and quality have taken me over to the DARK side. :) But I do know of several super quality Porsche shops that take the forced induction business very, very seriously, and work it with great success. I'm sure they would love to give the R8 a serious boost if they could ever get their hands on a willing tester mule. Maybe this winter when I turn more to skiing than driving, I will volunteer. They will certainly gain interest when they hear of $57,900 supercharger kits!!! LOL :D

As is, I see no desire for more power in the R8 for normal street use. It seems to be perfectly balanced as is. But for the track, the R8 is such a rock solid, beautifully handling platform, that I can easily see quite a few more horses added with great results.

My main track car still remains a Porsche. It will be interesting to see how the R8 evolves into the more serious track world as race tuners are able to spend more time with an actual R8 car. The car definitely has the potential to be a better performer than the Nissan GT-R. I hope it gets there.

Apparently you know nothing about dollar/euro exchange rates, TUV certification costs, and the R&amp;D it takes to engineer a product in which you'll be selling less than 50 of.