The R8 will be a direct competitor to cars like the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, an all-wheel drive sports car powered by a 355-horsepower 6-cylinder engine.
What it won't compete with, directly, is any model from BMW or Mercedes-Benz, said Wolfgang Hoffman, director of product management for Audi USA. Those brands are Audi's real competitors, but Audi has targeted a hole in their line-ups.
Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer less exotic-looking performance models at near that price. But cars like the BMW M6 Coupe and Mercedes-Benz SL don't have the Lambo-like looks of the R8.
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