CoMod Lotus Review of the Carrera DIGITAL 132 Audi R8 "Police"
(Art.Nr. 30644)
The Essen Motor Show has been a must-visit destination for car and motorsports fans for many years. And for many years now, the VDAT (Association of Automotive Tuners) has been promoting safe tuning at the show.
Every year, the VDAT working group “Tune it! Safe!” presents a campaign vehicle in police livery to introduce car enthusiasts to the reputable and, above all, safe approach to vehicle tuning. Also participating in the working group are tire manufacturer Hankook and the Federal Ministry of Transport.
In 2011, a very special car was unveiled: an Abt Audi R8 GTR.
The 525 PS Audi R8 5.The 2 FSI serves as the basis for the new show car, which has, however, undergone extensive modifications: The police livery is not a paint job but a Foliatec wrap, and the car is equipped with a Hella light signal system on the roof. The naturally aspirated ten-cylinder engine has been tuned to produce 620 PS, an increase of 95 PS. A maximum torque of 550 Newton-meters propels the Abt R8 GTR to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and to 200 km/h in 9.9 seconds. However, the top speed is limited to 325 km/h, which still makes it the fastest police car of its kind. The Audi is brought to a stop by a ceramic brake system and rides on ultra-light 19-inch wheels fitted with Hankook Ventus S1 Evo tires, sized 235/35 in the front and 305/30 in the rear.
Inside, the Audi resembles a race car: stainless steel roll bars, Recaro racing seats with a 4-point harness system, and a carbon-fiber sport steering wheel. Furthermore, the interior was outfitted with a combination of Alcantara and leather, a black headliner, black carpets, and a black dashboard. There’s not much room left in the cabin for suspects, but you’re the undisputed king of the highway. The guys from COBRA 11 can only dream of something like this…
So this would be the model for the new item number 30644. The CARRERA police car is based on the “standard” production R8, which was released back in 2008. The Audi was one of the first cars to feature the revised suspension; it’s still competitive today, and from the very beginning, it was THE rival to the Porsche 911.
The paint job is cleanly executed and as close to the original as possible, since the ABT-R8 naturally differs slightly from the slot car in terms of bodywork. The Digital R8 I tested has front and rear lights (the light from the front seems to shine slightly out of the wheel well), plus the light bar on the roof. The electronics for these lights were sacrificed to free up space in the cabin, which actually has a positive effect on the car’s handling, since the overall weight is lower than that of the production model.
All in all, a very successful concept—the car is a lot of fun on the track and holds its own even against more modern competitors!
Best regards,
Your Lotus
(Art.Nr. 30644)
The Essen Motor Show has been a must-visit destination for car and motorsports fans for many years. And for many years now, the VDAT (Association of Automotive Tuners) has been promoting safe tuning at the show.
Every year, the VDAT working group “Tune it! Safe!” presents a campaign vehicle in police livery to introduce car enthusiasts to the reputable and, above all, safe approach to vehicle tuning. Also participating in the working group are tire manufacturer Hankook and the Federal Ministry of Transport.
In 2011, a very special car was unveiled: an Abt Audi R8 GTR.
The 525 PS Audi R8 5.The 2 FSI serves as the basis for the new show car, which has, however, undergone extensive modifications: The police livery is not a paint job but a Foliatec wrap, and the car is equipped with a Hella light signal system on the roof. The naturally aspirated ten-cylinder engine has been tuned to produce 620 PS, an increase of 95 PS. A maximum torque of 550 Newton-meters propels the Abt R8 GTR to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and to 200 km/h in 9.9 seconds. However, the top speed is limited to 325 km/h, which still makes it the fastest police car of its kind. The Audi is brought to a stop by a ceramic brake system and rides on ultra-light 19-inch wheels fitted with Hankook Ventus S1 Evo tires, sized 235/35 in the front and 305/30 in the rear.
Inside, the Audi resembles a race car: stainless steel roll bars, Recaro racing seats with a 4-point harness system, and a carbon-fiber sport steering wheel. Furthermore, the interior was outfitted with a combination of Alcantara and leather, a black headliner, black carpets, and a black dashboard. There’s not much room left in the cabin for suspects, but you’re the undisputed king of the highway. The guys from COBRA 11 can only dream of something like this…
So this would be the model for the new item number 30644. The CARRERA police car is based on the “standard” production R8, which was released back in 2008. The Audi was one of the first cars to feature the revised suspension; it’s still competitive today, and from the very beginning, it was THE rival to the Porsche 911.
The paint job is cleanly executed and as close to the original as possible, since the ABT-R8 naturally differs slightly from the slot car in terms of bodywork. The Digital R8 I tested has front and rear lights (the light from the front seems to shine slightly out of the wheel well), plus the light bar on the roof. The electronics for these lights were sacrificed to free up space in the cabin, which actually has a positive effect on the car’s handling, since the overall weight is lower than that of the production model.
All in all, a very successful concept—the car is a lot of fun on the track and holds its own even against more modern competitors!
Best regards,
Your Lotus
