GRR

Video: This four-cylinder Audi R8 is a turbocharged rocketship

10th June 2022
Seán Ward

A four-cylinder Audi R8 doesn’t make sense at all. And yet here, watching one with a 650PS (478kW) 2.0-litre engine bomb its way up a hillside in West Germany it really does make sense.

At first, the question has to be why would you get rid of the original V8 or V10? There are plenty of time attack R8s around with the original motors, tuned or stock, left in place. But this is no ordinary 2.0-litre four-banger, but an aluminium block unit from, of all things, a Volkswagen Golf Mk3. To that a Garret HTA turbo has been added, enough for 650PS and 550Nm (407lb ft) of torque at 2.1lb of boost. Because the engine is so light and the car has been gutted entirely, this R8 weighs just 956kg – less than a VW Up GTI.

The car rips. The sound is quite boring, that’s for sure, even with its turbo whistles, but that immense power combined with a very obvious lack of weight shoots it up this hill at an almost unbelievable rate. I wouldn’t throw away a V8 or V10, but still, what a car.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Take a tour of Monaco with Patrick Depailler

  • Video

  • Elevenses

  • Audi

  • R8

  • Onboard

Spoil your loved ones with a gift from Goodwood this Christmas

Shop Now
Video Alt Text
four-cylinder-audi-r8-hillclimb-video-10062022.jpg

Modern

Video: This four-cylinder Audi R8 is a turbocharged rocketship

10th June 2022

audi_r8_hillclimb_car_goodwood_02032023_list.jpg

Modern

Video: The most insane Audi R8 we've ever seen

02nd March 2023

elevenses-audi-r8-vs-mercedes-amg-drag-race.jpg

News

Video: 1,000PS Audi R8 vs 850PS AMG GT in crazy drag race

02nd September 2022

elevenses-le-mans-classic-onboard.jpg

Historic

Video: Onboard a chaotic first lap at Le Mans Classic

07th August 2023

audi-a4-hillclimb-list.jpg

Historic

Video: This is the angriest sounding Audi A4 we've ever heard

16th June 2020

elevenses-panoz-lmp1-onboard.jpg

Historic

Video: Riding shotgun in a thundering Panoz LMP-1 at Goodwood

18th August 2022

elevenses-octavia-estate-main.jpg

Historic

Video: This Skoda Octavia is an epic hillclimb car

13th June 2022

audi-rs3-nurburgring-onboard-video-goodwood-26082021.jpg

News

Video: Blistering Audi RS3 Nürburgring onboard

26th August 2021