All language subtitles for Supercar.Superbuild.S02E08.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-RAWR_track4_[eng]

(energetic music)

- [Narrator] It starts
with petrol-based passion,

becomes a hotbed for high
performance engineering,

and eventually leads to the
renaissance of an entire brand.

- Audi really bet the farm on racing.

- [Narrator] Two decades ago,

Audi was an outsider looking for an edge.

- It's tough to describe how
Audi comes to what it is today.

There isn't a simple way.
(car engines revving)

- [Narrator] 13 Le Mans wins later,

they've become one of the most dominant

endurance racing teams in history.

- We at the extra manufacturing base

of Audi sport customer racing

where the race cars get manufactured.

- [Narrator] Success at the
track gives rise to a new kind

of supercar for the street.

- The R8 has become a symbol

of the modern age of supercars.

- [Narrator] To stay on top,

the brand must now replace its aging icon.

- When you have a car
like the first R8 that's

so instantly recognized, it
is gonna be really difficult

to recapture that same magic.

- [Narrator] Recapturing the magic

comes down to a machine that's been forged

with glory and built to defend the honor

of a once forgotten name.

The second generation R8 V10 plus.

(energetic music)
(car engines revving)

It goes zero to 100 KPH in 3.2 seconds.

Hits the 200 KPH mark
just 6.7 seconds later

and roars all the way up to a top speed

of 330 kilometers per hour.

- The R8 V10 plus is an
exceptionally fast car

'cause it has 600
horsepower all-wheel drive

and a really, really fast
shifting transmission

with a very responsive launch control.

(car engine accelerates)

- [Narrator] The second gen
R8 V10 plus is the fastest

production machine to
ever wear the four rings

and one of its most expensive.

The base model starts at
just over 165,000 euros.

- The R8 is kind of the
the all around supercar.

These things are blisteringly
fast on a race track.

They change directions so quickly.

These are amazing sports car to drive,

but they're also incredibly livable.

- [Narrator] The R8 saga is
a tale told through racing

and it starts nearly two decades ago.

In 1999, Audi debuts an all
new prototype, the R8 R.

- We entered racing
business in the more serious

from 99 onwards.

- [Narrator] The R8 R is a 610 horsepower

open cockpit racing machine.

Little does anyone know just
how transformative it'll be.

- We won in 2000 at Les Mans

and that changed the how we saw ourselves.

- [Narrator] The 24 hours of Les Mans

is perhaps the most famous

endurance road race in the world.

When the R8 R wins it in
just its second running,

it changes the destiny of the brand.

- Since the early 2000s, Audi has won

more often than not and
more often than anyone else.

It's been almost an unbroken streak.

- Starting in the year
2000, Audi wins Les Mans

five out of six years

- They got into endurance
racing and they spent

a lot of R and D money learning about how

to make not a car not only go fast

but last in extreme
conditions for a long time

'cause you gotta be able to do both to

finish a 24 hour race.

- [Narrator] Success
on the track coincides

with perhaps the greatest
automotive renaissance in history.

- They've come from nothing to one

of the top luxury auto brands
in the world in the span

of about two decades.

- [Narrator] Transforming an automaker

is hard to do in half a century,

let alone just under 20 years.

And a single concept car is the key.

- It led to a show car in 2003

at the International
Automobile Salon at Frankfurt.

People really didn't expect
us to bring a sports car,

especially a middle motor sports car

that had a performance.

- Obviously the Les Mans concept comes out

and people say, what is that thing?

It's this beautiful mid engine supercar.

It looks like nothing else if
it's got these great lines.

And people loved it.

- It was very, very secretive.

Not many people knew
what we were gonna show

and then all of a sudden, holy cow,

the industry was also surprised I think,

and no one expected us to do that.

It was a big cannon shot
for the whole industry.

- [Narrator] It's a blast felt
around the automotive world

and five years later
leads to the introduction

of the R8 supercar.

- So the introduction in 2008
literally changed everything.

It's a way kids started
pinning pictures of the R8

to the wall.

- A couple years later they,
they come out with a streetcar

and it looks a lot like the
concept and that's hard to do.

A lot of concept cars are, you know,

crazy pie in the sky things,

all these ridiculous design elements.

Audi pulled it off.

- [Narrator] Supercars are always fast,

often they're also full of exaggeration.

The first gen R8 isn't.

The machine's radical style,
game changing reliability

and heady performance helped
transform not only the supercar

space but also Audi itself.

- They weren't there yet

and then you get this incredible halo car

and everybody wants an Audi.

- The Audi R8 was so radical
when it first came out.

It had a design that was so
different than the establishment

that it attracted
attention wherever it went.

When you see one on the
road today, you still

think, oh my god, what was that?

- The R8 really made the
supercar approachable

and dare I say accessible.

It was not nearly as expensive
as a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

It was more comfortable
and had more cargo space.

It was reliable.
(car engine revs)

- [Narrator] Today the second generation

of the machine comes

to life just outside
of Neckarslum, Germany,

inside of the Bollinger Hoffer factory.

- We are in the factory here
where the R8 is produced

and it's fantastic to see
them moving along here

like spaceships hanging
on on production rigs

and really like sculptures.

- [Narrator] The 230,000
square meter facility is home

to 491 highly trained craftspeople.

- A lot of this car is hand produced

and these people, they've
been specially chosen.

They've been specially
trained up to do what they do.

- On a good day, they
produce just 20 machines.

Each is a blend of industrial
mass production knowhow

and handcrafted perfection.

- We build a lot of cars
in different segments

and we take the benefits of
that mass production style

and combine it with a very,

very specific highly customer
oriented manufacturer.

- [Narrator] The state of
the art facility is part

of a 25 billion euro
infrastructure improvement project.

- It's always a treat in
this industry When you get

to build a factory for a car,
we were able to set it up

how we wanted it, so it's
really a very nice place

to build cars and then
the guys do a great job.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] When we moved
into this facility in 2014,

the novel idea of a production
facility like this one,

a production center like
this one that brings an R8

to life is naturally a special challenge.

- Here with with the new
building of (indistinct) factory.

It's really cool. That's
why I became a designer.

I wanted to create things.

I wanted to create cars

and bring a smile to people's
face when they see the car.

- [Narrator] It will take
artisanal welders over two

and a half days to
construct a space frame.

The body isn't just sexy,
it's also cutting edge.

The R8 is built using a
modular sports car system known

as the MSS platform.

- The MSS is a platform
which provides the technical

basis for the for the R8,
basic structure of the car.

- [Narrator] The process begins

by loading aluminum pieces onto a jig

and carefully locking them into place.

This guarantees dimensional accuracy

during the early stages of the build.

- It's magical when you
see them sitting there

and they're welding it all
together, all the pieces together

so that it doesn't move.

It's really, really something
special within the industry.

- The completed sub assemblies
transfer to another jig

and form the basis of the
front, mid and rear subframes.

Each well is both difficult and critical.

- Aluminum has a a lower melting point.

You have to be careful how you do it so

that you don't just melt your metal.

(machines buzzing)

- [Narrator] There are over 89 meters

of finished welds in a single R8 frame.

That's almost the length
of a football field.

Next, a worker uses an
advanced etching machine

to hand stamp the vehicle
identification number.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We are here
in the underbody line area

at the front end, mid coach
and rear end are connected here

for the first time.

We refer to the whole process as marriage.

- [Narrator] Unlike many
robotically driven car factories,

the R8 body shop is a
very hands-on affair.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We are so different

because we build everything by hand.

Our individual output is lower compared

to the robotic assembly
you're familiar with.

But at the same time we
have the same expectations

for car body precision.

- [Narrator] Today's robotic
welders are extremely accurate.

It takes four technicians

and welding both sides

of the car in unison to compete with them.

This guarantees a perfect match.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We build the underbody

together completely by hand.

That means we take the pieces,
fit them together manually

and weld them together,
all the while ensuring

that the assembly dimension remains true.

- [Narrator] Finally, it's
time to put the body panels on.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We assembled
the R8 external components

at this dish, the shell

Here we join the hood, the
door and the side panel

and thereby create 80%
of the visible surface

and what it comes down
to for the customer.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] The fit is extremely precise.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We're talking
about a tolerance of plus

or minus 0.3 millimeters at
the joint on a painted car.

- [Narrator] 0.3 millimeters
is roughly the width

of just two human hairs.

The extreme detail is echoed in the tight

fit of the roof panel.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We partially
blew the roof onto the frame.

We then rivet the roof onto
the frame with punch rivets,

but we also join it
additionally with welds.

- [Narrator] The finished space frame

weighs just 200 kilograms

and looks like a piece of industrial art.

Yet it's the silver bare
aluminum that hearkens back

to the brand's racing roots

and showcases a very fast future.

(car engine accelerates)

The second generation R8 V10 plus is a

rocket on the race track,

an eye catcher on the street

and the halo car for an
automotive juggernaut, all

of which almost didn't happen.

- Audi for a long time was
the other German car company.

They weren't well known and
they didn't make anything

really super stand out.

- Audi's survival saga
begins with the birth

of the automobile itself.

In 1886 German inventor Carl
Benz bolts a single cylinder

engine onto a three wheeled carriage.

The result is the first car.

- There is a huge history in
automotive brand in Germany.

- [Narrator] The success
of the patent motor vargon

ignites an industrial gold rush.

Germany becomes a hotbed for
early automotive advancement.

- There were dozens of companies

who produce practically
everything from a little carriage

with a motorcycle engine up
to top class automotives.

- [Narrator] Audi, Horsch, DKW

and Vondra are four of
the companies jockeying

to become major players
in the burgeoning field.

But their fate changes

on October 29th, 1929

when the American stock market collapses.

Overnight, $30 billion vanishes

and the global economy
hits the brakes hard.

It's the start of the Great Depression.

- Before the Wall Street
crash we had approximately

50 different companies.

Today three are existing.

- [Narrator] The crash is the deepest

and longest lasting economic downturn

in the history of the
western industrialized world.

- The four companies joined
together under the roof

of the Saxon Bank.

They had yeah money in all
of these different companies

and if one of them would've collapsed,

this would be a catastrophe
for the banking institute.

- [Narrator] The shotgun wedding

creates the second largest
car company in Germany

at the time.

- The completely different
companies joined together,

something a bit like
today's Volkswagen Group.

- [Narrator] The merger secures
the Saxon Bank's investment

but rebranding a car maker isn't easy

so the freshly minted company
creates a four ringed logo

to pay homage to the four founding brands.

Then in the face of economic adversity,

the new company decides
to do something bold.

They go racing.

- You need the folks to remember
the name of this company.

You can do this by winning races.

- [Narrator] Two years after the merger

they introduced the Type A.

- Out came in 1934, the
first Grand Prix car.

'34 was a year of learning.

- [Narrator] 24 months later they're ready

to challenge Mercedes on the track.

- From that time on, you
have two German marks

competitive at the racetracks.

All the others they were
second or third fiddle.

- [Narrator] It's the dawn
of the Silver Arrow era.

- Germany's racing color was silver

and so you have these really
fast German automobiles

that the press labels silver arrows

because of how competent they are at

going high rates of speed.

- [Narrator] The car doesn't
just inspire a nickname.

It also lays the foundation
for Audi's racing heritage

and the modern supercar.

- These racing cars were
way ahead of the time.

Mid engine, rear wheel
drive center fuel tank

driver sitting literally
between the front wheels.

He has to feel what happens in his back,

six liters capacity, 520
horsepowers and has immense output.

Top speeds 330 kilometers.

- [Narrator] What was
revolutionary in 1936 isn't all

that different from today's
high performance machines,

including the second gen R8.

- The best handling sports
cars always have the engine

between the occupants of the vehicle

and the rear axle, sort
of sandwiched in there.

There are specific benefits
to having a middle engine car.

You have the majority

of your weight set up between the wheels.

It was a conscious decision when we

started the R8 program.

- [Narrator] Today's R8
continues the legacy thanks

to its mid-engine layout,

but it also offers a
new carbon fiber twist.

- We wanted to combine the benefits

of carbon fiber in this
particular vehicle is

the first time we've used it in an Audi.

- Inside the second wing

of the Bollinger Hoffer body
shop painted aluminum shells

meet carbon fiber on the factory floor.

- We have a long tradition

of building aluminum space frame cars

and we also have a tradition
of using specific materials

and specific places for
the most bang for the buck.

- [Narrator] Adding carbon
fiber helps reduce weight

and increase stiffness.

- The stiffness of a car is like integral

to the sensations you
feel while driving it.

A car that isn't stiff is gonna feel loose

and sort of sloppy

because you can feel the entire body

flexing and moving around you.

- [Narrator] The carbon fiber
elements reduce weight by 15%

and help the machine become
40% stiffer at the same time.

- Being stiffer is better

because it allows all the other bits

to work how they're planting.

When a car is bending or
twisting, then a suspension has

to work in variable planes
and invariable directions.

If it's all very stiff,

then you have the the suspension
working on very specific

lines in very specific ways

and you can set it up much more precisely.

- [Narrator] Building a lighter

and stronger machine begins
with the installation

of the carbon fiber firewall

between the occupant
cell and the engine bay.

Next they set the
transmission housing into

a mechanical jig.

A robot applies glue,

then a crafts person
swings the piece into place

before yet another robot
rivets it together.

- When you lay carbon fiber
in certain directions,

it's very, very stiff ,in
other directions it bends.

We've used it along the
middle of the car in order

to stiffen that up.

- [Narrator] At the next station,

workers install the carbon fiber B

pillars and rivet them by hand.

- Aluminum and carbon fiber
don't necessarily like each

other as materials, so you
have to be very careful about

how you prepare the aluminum

to be bonded with the carbon fiber.

- [Narrator] A finished body is now ready

for a detailed quality control check

where a specialist looks over each

and every corner of the machine.

Finally, after nearly three
days, a new R8 is ready

to hit the final assembly line.

Since the dawn of the 21st century,

Audi has dominated endurance racing,

racking up both individual victories

and overall constructor championships.

- Audi's chief success in
racing has come in endurance

racing and that's kind of become
the the go-to field now for

automakers who are really looking to take

what they learn in racing
and apply to the street.

- [Narrator] In 2011, the brand
debuts the R 18 prototype.

The machine adds four
more wins at Les Mans

and takes home two more world
endurance championships.

Each victory reinforces the
company's racing pedigree while

also influencing future
products for the street.

- It's a extreme environment
which helps the streetcar

because you have to focus
on different things.

- It's not an easy thing to do.

Everyone says that their racing
technology influences their

streetcar, but to actually put your money

where your mouth is and build a streetcar

that actually incorporates

that knowledge, actually
performs like you expect it

to is really remarkable.

- [Narrator] Racing meets road going

inside the Bollinger Hoffer factory.

This is the home of
the second gen Audi R8.

The assembly hall is a
high performance oasis

where the future and the past
collide, one car at a time.

Inside these walls, they
manufacture the base R8,

the top of the line V10 plus

and build the space frame
for the LMS racing variant.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] The R8's assembly
line consists of 15 steps

and currently we assemble 17 cars per day.

- [Narrator] Every 30 minutes,

partially built machines advance

to the next station on the
line and it takes seven

and a half hours to fully
assemble just one machine.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We are at the
beginning of the assembly.

The body moves from frame
assembly tool on the automated

vehicle guiding system
onto the assembly line.

- [Narrator] The guided sleds are one

of the few forms of automation

inside the factory, yet
even though they're robotic,

they can actually think
and see for themselves.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] You see I am not run over.

The automated guidance
system begins automatically.

If someone is in the way like
I am now this horn sounds

and the light is red.

Once I move to the side,
it starts up again.

- [Narrator] The facility looks high tech

but the cars are born
in an old school way.

For the new R8, the team
relies on the talented

craftspeople who have to fit up

to 50 parts in a predefined sequence

and master up to 12
different tools per station.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We're at the
start of the assembly line

on day one.

Assembly begins by
mounting the parts located

directly on the chassis.

- [Narrator] Workers
apply protection covers

to the freshly painted body panels,

take the doors off and add
insulation to the machine.

A station later they use a sliding hoist

to move the wiring harness into the car.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] The weight
of the wiring harness is

so great in this instance
here that there is an aid

so the technician doesn't
need to lift with his back

but can instead move the piece
ergonomically to the car.

- [Narrator] Worker-friendly
tech is a key to the Audi way.

Nowhere is that more
apparent than at station four

where the car is rotated up to 90 degrees.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We see the
distinct advantage here.

Technicians don't need
to work above their heads

but rather are able to work
directly in front of them.

It's a very, very ergonomic position

for the technician at this station.

The automated guide transfers
the frame to the hoist

and then moves to this parked position.

Autonomous assembly movements
are already a reality here.

- [Narrator] Workers add the oil, water

and fuel lines while the car is tilted.

Unlike most cars, the R8 has not one

but two fuel tanks.

- [Translator] Dividing the tank in two

onto itself has two reasons.

A, of course the issue of space.

Secondly, there's of course the following.

The amounts of petrol weight right

and left are distributed
very, very low in the vehicle.

Providing a low center of gravity,

naturally good performance
and good handling.

- [Narrator] Workers
build up the front trunk

and bolt in the wiring harness.

Next two technicians in tandem
swing a dashboard into the

car and bolt it in place.

The instrument panel looks ordinary

but it actually offers a vista into the

future of the automobile.

- The other super cool thing I love is

that digital dashboard.

That whole cove, there should
be needles engaged in all one

big screen and it gives
you so many opportunities.

You can bring up all the
information you want.

My personal favorite is when you're trying

to get somewhere you haven't been

before, you make that
entire screen your map.

You just glance down

and you can see, when's
my next turn coming up?

What's the map look like? I
know the next three turns even.

It's a really neat piece of technology.

- [Narrator] A station later radiators

and intercoolers are sub
assembled next to the line

and installed.

A bit further down, an aisle
over from the main line,

the engine is prepped.

A technician swings the seven
speed automatic transmission

onto a jig, followed by
the massive V10 motor.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We are here
in the engine subassembly.

Engine subassembly is where
the engine, transmission

and their auxiliaries are connected.

It's where the heart of the R8,

the engine, begins its
journey into the car.

- If you drove into a first gen R8,

the one real weak spot of
that car was the transmission.

It wasn't the best and the
automatic was a single clutch.

The shifts were slow.
They were kind of harsh.

This new dual clutch
design that they're using,

the shifts are instantaneous.

They are smooth. They happen
exactly when you want it to.

It's an awesome piece of technology

and it's great for going fast.

It's gonna make you faster
no matter who you are.

- [Narrator] Just eight
bolts connect the motor

to the transmission

and it takes all of them to get the 610

horsepower to the ground.

That's why they go to
great lengths to confirm

that each is torqued to
the exact specification.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] It's crucial at this point,

and we do this at various
points along assembly,

we electronically monitor all
critical points of bolt talk.

You can see the visual representation

of this monitoring here, so

that technicians can immediately
see where they've tightened

and where we are on an input output image.

- [Narrator] It takes
just 12 seconds on average

to drop the naturally aspirated V10

into the back of the chassis.

- [Translator] We're located

at a decisive station pertaining

to the engine on the assembly line.

The marriage, the R8 marriage

of course doesn't happen
from underneath as

with mass produced front engine cars,

but rather the R8

as a mid-engine sports
car gets its engine put in

from behind and above.

- [Narrator] While most of
the automotive world is moving

towards turbocharged
engines, the R8 stands out

because its V10 is still
naturally aspirated.

- Audi certainly knows
about turbochargers.

They use 'em on a lot
of different engines,

but there's something about this V10.

It's just a kind of unique product.

There aren't many V10s on the market

so, it's a unique calling point

and it gives them a huge
amount of performance.

(machines whirring)

- [Narrator] The rapid fire installation

of the 425 kilogram engine
underscores the team's exacting

attention to detail.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] Just like it
is at the many other stations,

precision is expected

and of course that goes for the engine.

The tight tolerance is key. It can't rock.

It has to go tightly onto the
designed position and it does.

(energetic music)

- [Narrator] After the
engine is dropped into place,

technicians roll the
exhaust system to the line.

They use another ergonomically
friendly lift to move it

to the correct position
before they bolt it on.

- This car makes so much noise.

There's a loud howl when
you hop on the throttle.

When you make a gear change,

it's really nice positive sound.

When you lift off the throttle

and downshift, you get
exactly three backfires.

It's like they've calculated
each particular sound

to make sure it always
sounds the most exciting

- [Narrator] A few meters
away on another subassembly

station, workers prep the
front axle differential.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] This is the
front axle differential.

It and the drive shaft get installed here.

Step seven, which is of
course what takes the R8

as a super sports car
to the Quattro level.

- [Narrator] One station later

they install the axle
along with the drive shaft.

Together the two components form the heart

of the car's all wheel drive system.

- All of a sudden you
have four wheels bringing

that power down to the
ground, not just two.

That's a huge improvement there.

You have four wheels pulling
you out of a corner instead

of two pushing you out of a corner.

- [Narrator] While much of
the R8 is brand new tech,

the distinct all wheel drive
layout goes back a long way.

- Audi tried to establish
business in the American market

in the early seventies.

It was not very successful,
you have to admit.

- [Narrator] By the eighties,

the brand has a foothold on the continent

but is still unknown elsewhere.

- In the 1980s, BMW and Mercedes-Benz

finally really caught on,

they became really popular.

Everyone had to have a German car.

That was the cool thing to do.

- [Narrator] Audi's
answer is to fight fame

with engineering.

They call the philosophy
(speaking foreign language)

or lead by technology.

The heady concept generates a simple idea.

- Then comes this Audi Quattro
introduction in Geneva at the

Geneva Fair and from that time on we have

that (speaking foreign
language) technique.

(car engines revving)

- Quattro is a four-wheel drive concept

that revolutionizes rally car
racing during the eighties.

The term is derived from
the Italian word for four,

but you don't have to be a linguist

to understand its importance.

During the decade, Audi wins
23 world championship heats

and four world titles

because their cars can get
more power to the ground.

- If you look at the first
flat with these wheel arches,

permanent positive four wheel drive,

200 post power turbo engine.

- [Narrator] Success on the
rally car circuit brings

fame, but little else.

- I always say a green Audi
80 with a brown interior.

This is typical for a
German school parking lot.

When the teachers go to their break,

the director drives an Audi 100.

So this was nothing very special.

- [Narrator] Today the R8 is very special,

but the installation of the V10 motor

and its Quattro, all-wheel
drive components hides

yet another surprise.

Even though the engine looks
centered in the car, it isn't.

- Why is the engine offset?

Well, you have a problem
when you have to bring

power to the front of the car.

So the power comes out
to the back of the motor

and you have a transmission

and then somewhere you gotta
get it up to the front.

So you can either leave
the motor in the middle

and have your drive train at an angle

or you can move the
motor over a little bit

and go straight up to
the front of the car.

- [Narrator] At the
last station on line one

workers tighten over 150 connections

and install the machine's disc brakes.

The shape of the standard
disc brake is highly unusual.

- They use what's called the
wave design on the elder side.

So you have the two sides which
channel heat away from the

inside and then these waves are used then

to reduce the physical amount

of metal which we're using
within the brake plates.

Came from racing, came from motorcycles.

You saw a lot of that
happening in those two areas.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] Here we are
at step nine, the work step

where the windows are installed.

In this particular
instance, the windscreen.

There is one single robot
here, one single piece

of automation along the R8 assembly line.

The automated adhesive step,

the adhesive bead itself
to the windscreen.

- [Narrator] After the glass is fitted.

Craftspeople add the rear tail lights

and the iconic engine cross brace.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] The second stage is about

exterior and interior.

The parts one can later touch and feel.

The rear end is finished at this stage.

So right here we are looking
at the rear bumper installation

- [Narrator] Two crafts
people swing the rear bumper

into place and then fit
the R8's retractable wing.

A brand new R8 is halfway
to the finish line.

The majority of its mechanical
components have been

installed, but it's the
bling that comes next

that has helped showcase what
Audi can do on the inside.

(car engine accelerates)

In the thirties, Audi fought
Mercedes-Benz on the track.

In the eighties they developed
Quattro all-wheel drive

to defeat them in the global marketplace.

But it wasn't until they got
serious about the interior

of their machines that they
beat them on the showroom floor.

- One thing Audi does exceptionally
well is interior design.

The materials, the stitching,
it all looks gorgeous.

- [Narrator] The R8's
interior sex appeal originates

on line two inside the
final assembly factory.

The center console goes in first,

then they install the steering wheel.

- You have a flat bond
steering wheel that evokes all

of you know great racing
cars you've ever seen.

- [Narrator] Seats are added.

- They also have a very
focused appearance.

All the controls on this
car, all the gauges,

everything is centered around the driver.

There's really not much
for the passenger to do.

- [Narrator] One station
later they start working

on the machine's signature side blades.

The large air openings
look like a styling queue,

but they're actually a terrific example

of function over form.

- You gotta get air in everywhere you can.

The designers wanna have
a certain design look

and the engineers say,
yeah, that's interesting,

but we really need a certain
number of cubic meters

of air coming through
to keep the motor cool.

So that's a big challenge.

- We try to express this

(speaking foreign language) technique.

The technology that we
have in a race car is

very functional driven.

There's no bling bling
and unnecessary features.

It's all about the function.

- [Narrator] The front
bumper or fascia goes on.

Next they pay homage
to the company's roots.

A master craftsman delicately
fits the famous four

rings onto the bonnet.

Finally, they bolt the
LED headlights into place.

The fuel tank feeder and cap are added.

A craftsperson uses yet
another assisted lift

to bring the doors to the line

and installs them onto the car.

The machine receives a fresh set of rubber

and a quick fuel fill.

- [Translator] The moment that always

gives me goosebumps is also here

in step 15, namely firing the
engine for the first time.

The first ignition is when the heart

of the R8 is brought to life.

For the first time in this specific car.

- [Narrator] After nearly eight hours

of meticulous handcrafting,

a new R8 is fired up.

- [Translator] That's what I mean.

Starting the engine for the first time.

Goosebumps every time.

Firing the engine up for the first time is

something quite special.

- [Narrator] The car looks finished

but it's not quite done with
the Bollinger Hoffer factory.

(energetic music)

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] We use an
electronic vehicle checklist

to document and save the various steps,

processes, serial numbers

of airbags of quality
tests during assembly.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Translator] Technicians
can call up information

about a car at any

time to see where it is in the process.

- [Narrator] The electronic
control station replaces paper

inside the factory

and is the first of
several quality checks.

Next, a new R8 heads

to an advanced tire alignment
station where lasers confirm

that all four wheels are lined
up and adjusted perfectly.

Then a machine takes a quick
shower inside a water booth

to ensure that there are no leaks.

They slowly and carefully
inspect each finished machine

for imperfections.

A lot of supercars might look
like they're built to race,

but few actually are.

- You know, a lot of
car makers like to claim

that they're using racing
technology on the street

and in some cases it's true.

In some cases it's an exaggeration.

In the case of the Audi
R8, there is actually a lot

of connections between the
race car and the street car.

- [Narrator] The R8's dynamic reflexes

on a racetrack go back

to the very beginning of
the second gen project.

Both the road going R8 V10

and the Les Mans GT3 racing version are

developed at the same time.

- The benefit of having
developed a racing car

and a road going car at the same time is

that the racing car gets
the hundreds of thousands

of kilometers of durability testing.

What we get is a testing in,

in an environment you have no
other place where you're able

to take a motor and just
be so brutal with it

as in a 24 hour race.

- [Narrator] Before an engine
can be tested on a track,

it's first abused on
an advanced test bench.

deep inside of Audi's Neckarslum facility

where a technician puts a
new motor through its paces

for weeks on end.
(machines whirring)

- 50% of the car that you're
running on in the GT class

comes right off of our base car here.

The motor, you know (indistinct), right up

to the to the transmission.

It's one to one.
(machines whirring)

- [Narrator] Every day in
the tiny German village

of Biberach on a quiet side street

dedicated racing professionals
push high performance

to the limit one bolt at a time.

(energetic music)

This is a rare look

inside the Audi customer
sport racing department

where ordinary R8s

are transformed into full
blown racing machines.

- It's a great honor.

It makes you very proud
that you can be part of it

and that it's not just a
isolated motorsport program.

In Audi Sport, we always do things

that matters to the road cars.

- [Narrator] Chris
Reinker is a man who knows

how to go fast, very fast.

As the head of Audi's LMP one program,

he leads the charge in winning
the 24 hours of Les Mans

and a world endurance racing championship.

Today Chris and his team build

and sell R8 race cars for the tidy sum

of 359,000 euros.

- Audi's pay close attention
to the ensuring there's a link

between the R8 that you
can buy for the street

and the LMS GT3 racing variant

that you can also buy from Audi

and go take in FI GT3 races.

The big components that are very similar.

- This is a very chassis

that you saw leaving the Bollinger Hofer

and it's stage where it's primed.

The cage is already welded
into the basic chassis,

which is the same then on the road car.

Now the next step will be

to take carbon fiber
race specific components

to implement 'em into, to make
it into the real race beast.

- [Narrator] Transforming
a normal production car

into an all-out racing machine

is often a complicated affair.

But thanks to the R8's
unique development process,

both variants share many
of the same components.

- The road car, the race
car has been designed at

the very same time.

So therefore we could influence
the design of the road car

as well as the road car could
influence the race car design.

- [Narrator] The second
stage of the build,

they add carbon fiber
structural components

to give the car even
more torsional stiffness.

- Now we are at assembly place

where actually the race
cars get handcrafted.

Now we put 'em up on the stance

and from here we start to assemble the

mechanical components onto it.

- [Narrator] The racing
shop works very similarly

to the main factory.

Each car is built up bit
by bit using part kits.

- Well we have these parts
which get prepared in one box.

They belong together and
then get preassembled.

So they come kitted together
for the next assembly stage

to enable the mechanics
to work efficiently

to assemble the race car
in a very efficient way.

- [Narrator] Perhaps no part

of the R8 LMS machine gets more attention

than the V10 power plant.

- One of the best features
in the new R8 is the the

drive train of the car, right?

The engine itself,

they use the same engine
in their R8 race cars.

It's tuned almost the same
and that's always awesome.

- This is actually the very same engine

that could go into the race
car or into the road car.

This gives us a great
durability for race car

'cause usually a race engine

after endurance race has to get rebuilt.

Our engine lasts a
complete season, so even

after our class when the to us is here,

we wouldn't rebuild the
engine that keeps on

racing as a complete season.

(energetic music)
(machines whirring)

- [Narrator] In any given year,

the racing department will
build around 80 R8 LMS cars.

- Well now the car's completed,

you know the assembly is done.

We take it out for rollout
to check all the system,

if all functions are working.

It comes back in for
its final quality check.

Our quality guy hooks up all the lists.

You know that everything is perfect

and this is how the customer receives it.

- Racing customers aren't the only ones

heading to the track.
(cars engine accelerates)

Street going R8 V10 plus machines can

often be found there too.

- What you have here is a recipe

for a really quick acceleration time.

You have a lightweight car,
you have a powerful V10 engine,

600 horsepower and change

and you have a super
quick transmission sending

power to all four wheels.

You have great launch control

and with that kind of
combination, that's just a recipe

for great acceleration.

- [Narrator] That acceleration
launches the R8 V10 plus

from zero to 100 kilometers
per hour in just 3.2 seconds.

- It's quiet. The air conditioning works.

You don't mind sitting in traffic in it.

It's no different than sitting
in any other luxury car

trying to get down the freeway.

But when you get out
to that favorite road,

it's an amazing performance car.

- [Narrator] Part of the performance

comes from the machine's light weight.

Dry, the second gen R8 comes
in at just 1,454 kilograms.

- The steering is super responsive.

This V10 engine is so quick,
it revs up so quickly.

There's no waiting on the
engine to to catch up to you.

- [Narrator] Keep your foot down

and the 610 horsepower naturally

aspirated V10 plus engine
will hurtle you to a top speed

of 330 kilometers per hour.

- It's a wonderful thing that
we don't have forced induction

turbocharging or
supercharging on this V10.

Modern sports cars are
all adopting turbochargers

because the efficiencies
are hard to argue against or

because their countries are requiring them

to meet emission standards.

Here we have a naturally
aspirated 5.2 liter V10 that revs

to near 9,000 RPMs, sounds terrific

and gives you all the
characteristics you want out

of an exotic sports car.

- [Narrator] The seven
speed dual clutch automatic

transmission can shift
in the blink of an eye.

If there's traction loss at either end,

the Quattro or wheel drive
system can reroute 100%

of the power to either
the front or rear wheels.

But what you can't do
in the car is shift it

with a manual transmission.

- As a car fan

and a someone who loves
the art of driving,

it's always disheartening to
lose a manual transmission.

Unfortunately, it can't
help but understand why.

The take rates among customers

for manual transmissions is really low.

People like the idea of it.

Very few people actually put their money

where their mouth is and buy one.

- [Narrator] When the first
Gen R8 debuted in 2006,

it helped usher in a
new era for the brand.

- The first generation car was so popular

and so successful there was a million

ways they could have screwed it up.

- [Narrator] Whether the second
generation machine lives up

to the legacy is yet to be determined.

- [Narrator] A lot of people will complain

that it doesn't look different enough

and that's the hardest part

because it has to look like the old car

'cause everyone loved the old car.

But it also has to look new

and very rarely do you
do that kind of redesign

and have everyone say, that's brilliant.

It looks great. We love it.

They didn't ruin the R8

when they made the next generation of it.

In fact, not only did
they not screw it up,

they actually made it better.

I mean, it really is a
truly impressive update

- And it was a lot of late nights.

It was a lot of working on it.

We, we had a good start

because we had a prototype
which was closely related

to what we wanted to
produce for a final car.

So it was a lot of hard
work just working on lots

of details, lots of details.

It's an incredible amount of details

to get a complete car together.

(mellow music)