Report & Pics: Prashanth Nayak
Mangalore, April 4, 2013: Mangaloreans can soon catch a glimpse of the latest model of Audi, one of the world’s leading and most admired brand in the global market, on the city roads. Arjun Moraes, a Mangalorean who is in to granite business is the proud owner of Audi R8 V10 model and is the first to own it in South India.
Moraes who already owns several other luxurious cars like BMW and Chevrolet, says he was bowled over by Audi during an exhibition and nurtured a desire to own it since a year. “I got the R8 V10 through Mumbai for Rs 2.9 cores,” he says.
The luxury car manufacturer, Audi, was established in 1910, with its headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany. The company name is based on the surname of the founder August Horch, meaning listen — which, when translated into Latin, becomes Audi.As a manufacturer of high-quality and innovative luxury cars, Audi, one of the world’s leading premium brands and among the most admired on the world market came to India and set up its own sales company for India in 2007.
When the Audi R8 was first introduced in 2007, many observers argued a more powerful motor might be needed to unlock the true potential of the car. Fast-forward a few years, and considerably more powerful R8 V10 coupe and convertible models are now a reality.
Powered by a Lamborghini-sourced V10, the latest R8 sends 525 horsepower to all four wheels thanks to a sophisticated Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The car was introduced to the public at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.