Audi R8 GT Spyder on the way

Audi's mean limited-edition R8 GT will soon be joined by a topless counterpart, according to new artwork and details revealed today.

Brewed to the same formula as the hardtop monster, the new Spyder variant will utilise the same lightweight materials and construction techniques as the R8 GT.

Specific figures haven't been revealed, but expect the Spyder to show a similar weight reduction to the R8 GT, which is around 100kg lighter than the 'regular' R8 5.2 FSI.

For the R8 GT, those improvements come courtesy of carbon fibre panels in place of many aluminium ones, along with a thinner windscreen and a polycarbonate rear window.

Power will be likely drawn from the same highly-tuned 5.2 litre V10 engine, producing 418kW and 540Nm of torque - a jump over 27kW and 10Nm over the mainstream model.

In the case of the hardtop, that boost in power results in a 3.9-second run to 100km/h, with a top speed of 320km/h.

The mechanical story remains the same under the skin, with Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system and a six-speed R tronic transmission featured.

The R8 GT Spyder is expected to debut in June at Le Mans - where Audi has achieved great success on the track wit hits R8 LMS race car. A more public launch is planned for the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.