Video of the Audi RS8 being tested just before it caught fire.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Audi R8: V10 prototype goes up in flames!

Oh no! The worst thing to a car prototype happened to this Audi R8 V10 on the Nurburgring while making its test rounds: it went up in flames!

Check the source for more high-res pictures.
And here's the pre-flames video:

With just hours to go on the last test day, the worst thing happened to the Audi test team working on the prototype for the V-10 version of Audi's R8 supercar.

Just coming into the Brünnchen part of the Nürburgring, this million euro Audi RS8 prototype caught fire and burned up. There's not much left of this super-fast super car with a V-10 engine. The only thing revealing that it was the RS8 are the wheels and the mid-engine layout. Just the roll bar survived the fire, leaving a skeleton of remains.

The fire was probably started by an oil or gasoline leak. But most important, the driver didn't get hurt, according to our information.

Audi still is planning the 500-hp, V-10 version of the R8 for a 2009 model year launch.