Late last year, Audi announced 2023 will be the final model year for the R8. In the United States, the German company celebrated the 16-year production run of the supercar with the 2023 R8 GT RWD limited to only 150 units, each with a price of $249,900. If you’ve missed your chance to order the most powerful rear-wheel-drive Audi, we have an alternative – buy a used R8 and upgrade it with VF Engineering’s bolt-on supercharger system.
The US tuning company has developed the kit to be compatible with the standard R8 V10, R8 V10 RWS, and R8 V10 Plus in all their different specifications around the world. The core component of the system is the Eaton TVS2300 supercharger with an air-water after cooling system. The package can be installed on the 5.2-liter V10 engine without further hardware modifications, which makes it completely reversible.
Gallery: Audi R8 by VF Engineering
The result from the bolt-on supercharger kit is an output of 830 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque when running on 91 octane fuel. There’s also a slightly less powerful 800-hp kit, which has a price of $31,995. This probably means the 830-hp kit should be a tad more expensive but the company says the kit offers “reliable and superior horsepower without compromise.”
The supercharger used by VF Engineering is the sixth generation TVS2300 and is a roots-style blower using Eaton’s latest generation four-lobe rotors. The supercharger is affixed to a water-cooled cast manifold with additional cooling efficiency provided by the independent water reservoir and heat exchangers unrelated to the engine. Boost pressures are immediate, the tuning firm says, and consistent across the entire rev range.
Additionally, VF Engineering can give your R8 a more distinctive look. Regardless of which model year supercar you have, it can be painted in a striking green color for an additional $3,000. Considering you can find a used 2020 Audi R8 AWD for around $150,000, a full performance and styling upgrade will still keep you well below the 2023 R8 GT RWD's price.
