As if the Audi R8 was not already an utter delight to own, an all-black paint job adds a flair of stealth and aggression to make the Audi R8 Panther Edition the ultimate nightcrawler. Barreling down a highway in a mysterious black Audi R8 brings to mind the image of a black panther creeping through the forest in the night, barely noticeable in its stride. Every inch of its design alludes to the animal’s nightly camouflage.
This mid-engine supercar shares the same impressive form as the black panther, and just like the wild creature, the vehicle is rare...very rare. R8s wearing a black coat are hardly commonplace, and to add to this exclusivity, the Panther Edition is only available within the borders of the US. Not shy of power, the R8 V10 engine will reliably roar into life, propelling the car from a complete stand-still to 60mph in 3.6 seconds, embodying the animal’s ability to leap from a silent prowl, into a full-blown chase.
The Audi R8 V10 Panther Edition is a highly exclusive 532 horsepower supercar for the US.
Update April 2022: This article was updated with new information about the 2021 Audi R8 Panther Edition.
The R8's V10 Engine Pack Some Serious Power
The glorious naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine that we love do dearly puts out 532 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. It tops out at a maximum speed of 201mph. Based on the R8 RWS, the power and torque are pushed to the rear wheels through a 7-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission.
Ever heard the feral growl of a Panther that feels threatened? The exhaust from this special R8 will jolt a similar level of adrenaline up your spine. The vehicle is packed with a sports exhaust system that dials up the V10 rumble from a gentle hum to heart-stopping levels. The sound can be adjusted using one of the four satellite buttons on the steering wheel or via the Audi Drive Select settings.
The Mysterious Design Theme Of The Panther Edition
Minimalism is the name of the game with this special Audi R8 that sports a gloss-black paint job. The black-out treatment continues with all the badges being finished in all-black, the door-mirror housing is also made from lightweight carbon fibre. The specially designed alloy wheels on the R8 are 20” 5-double-spoke-dynamic design wheels that sport a black finish, accented with red to match the seats inside. The wheels come wrapped in Michelin Pilot 4S performance tires.
Its luxurious interior is also fully black, except for the seats that are lined in crimson red leather. The racing shell seats sit a comfortable distance from the cockpit. The driver gets a fully-digital gauge cluster that Audi calls the "Virtual Cockpit", but there is no touchscreen to distract you from the pleasures of driving this beast. Customizable options in form of carbon fibre packages will see the air vents, and the centre console wrapped up in lightweight carbon fibre trims.
Complimenting the excellent paint job is the R8s unmistakable design, featuring an aluminium chassis with carbon fibre reinforced-reinforced polymer being used on the space-frame design. The body has been thoroughly engineered for aerodynamic driving and performance that has been modelled and tested on the track.
Emulating the wild animal’s exceptionally strong hind legs, the chassis on the RWD R8 has been modified to use solid rear axles as opposed to a hollow set-up. It is fitted with a front anti-roll bar and features an increase in the rear negative chamber, all of which are engineering decisions to specifically adapt the sports car for rear-wheel drive.
Changing Dynamics Of The Audi R8
The Audi * offer the driver the option to tailor the dynamics of the R8 using the Audi Drive Select drive modes: Comfort, Sport and Dynamic. The comfort mode is the most tranquillized setting to cruise through the street. Switch to Sport mode, the throttle response gets a little livelier and the transmission shifts are faster. Dynamic Mode allows you to give it the full beans and will leave you pushed back into the leather-wrapped seats. The steering begins to weigh up and offers a quicker response, as does the throttle and the gear shifts are more aggressive and faster.
The Audi R8 Panther Edition is Audi Sport's tribute to the US market. Limited to just 30 examples, this all-black, red accentuated beast will be hard to come by on the street regularly. Audi was offering this special edition model for $183,000.
Audi R8 V10: The Last Of Its Kind
Emission regulations around the world are getting stricter. As the auto industry is now on its way toward electric vehicles, thoroughbreds like the Audi R8 will naturally succumb to the electrification of its powertrain. While hybridization or fully electrification has its benefits in performance, they lack the characteristics that make the back of your hair stand up when you push your foot down on the loud pedal. In October 2021, Audi introduced an updated R8 V10 Performance RWD. It may be the last time we see the R8 in this form, or at all.