AUDI R8 SPYDER 2011 Manual Online

-The engine c annot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
To avo id u nnecessary engine wea r and to
reduce exhaust emissions, do not let your
vehicle stand and warm up . Be ready to
drive off immediately after start ing your
veh icle.
Stopping the engine
On vehicles with R tronic*, the engine can be
turned off in the neutral position N and in
each gear (1 -6 and R).
.. Turn the ignition key to position@
¢page 77, fig. 85.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the eng ine unt il the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and servotronic on ly
work when the engine is running. With
the ignition turned off, you have to apply
more force when steering or braking.
S ince you cannot steer and stop norma l­
ly, this can lead to accidents and ser ious
injuries.
(D Note
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat
builds up in the engine compartment af­
ter the eng ine is sw itched off -there is a
risk of damaging the engine . Allow the
engine to continue to run at idle for a
short time or drive until it has cooled
down before you turn it off¢
page 159 .
-If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, it can be­
come extreme ly hot. You should not park
your vehicle over eas ily combustible ob­
jects or areas (e .g. grass or leaves). There
i s a risk of start ing a fire.
On th e road 7 9
@ Tips
After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to
10 minutes -even wit h the ignition switch­
ed off. It can also sw itch on again after
some time if the coolant temperatu re rises
as the result of heat bu ildup or if the en­
gine compartment is heated by the s un's
r ays and the engine is hot.
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the
vehicle from rolling away unintentionally .
Fig. 86 Ce nter console: Pa rk ing b rake set
Set ting the parking brake
.. Pull the parking brake lever all the way up.
Releasing th e park ing bra ke
.. Pull the parking brake lever up slight ly and
press the release button at the same time
¢ fig. 86 ·arrow· .
.. Keep the re lease button pressed and lower
the parking brake¢,&..
If you shou ld drive off with the parking brake
still set, a warning tone will sound and the
follow ing message wi ll appear in the instru­
ment cluster to remind you to release the
parking brake:
Parking bra ke is appl ied
T he parking brake warning comes on only af­
ter you have driven for longer than 3 seconds
and faster than 3 mph (5 km/h). ..,.

80 On the road
The parking brake warning light_
(USA)/ . (CON) illuminates when the parking
brake is set and you switch on the ignition.
A WARNING
-
Always release the parking brake com­
pletely. A partially engaged brake will
overheat the rear brakes, reduce their ef­
fectiveness and cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failure and an accident .
(D Note
Only after the vehicle has come to com­
plete stop, should you firmly set the park­
ing brake and
move the gearshift lever into
a gear.
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling
away, there are a few things you should do .
.. Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
.. Set the parking brake firmly .
.. Switch off the engine.
.. Engage a gear
q ,&. .
What else you should do when parking
your vehicle on an incline or decline
Turn the steering wheel so that if the vehicle
should start to roll, it will roll into the curb.
A WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of in­
jury when leaving your vehicle.
- Never park the vehicle where it can come
in contact with dry grass, spilled fuel or
any other flammable materials.
- Never allow anyone - especially small
children - to remain in the vehicle when
it is locked. Locked doors make it more
difficult for rescuers to access the pas­
senger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
- Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Children could release the park­
ing brake or
move the gearshift lever out
-
of gear. The vehicle could start to roll
away and cause an accident.
- No matter what the season is, the tem­
perature in a parked vehicle can reach
dangerous levels.
Starting on hills
Applies to vehicles: with hill hold assist
Hill hold assist makes it easier to start on
hills .
The system is activated when the brake pedal
is depressed
for a few seconds.
After releasing the brake pedal, the brake
power is held for a
brief moment to prevent
the vehicle from rolling back when starting.
During this time, you can easily begin to
move
your vehicle.
A WARNING
-- If you did not begin moving immediately
after releasing the brake pedal, the vehi­
cle could begin to roll backward under
certain circumstances. Depress the brake
pedal immediately or engage the parking
brake.
- If the engine stalls, depress the brake
pedal immediately or engage the parking
brake.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
unintentionally when starting in stop­
and-go traffic, keep the brake pedal de­
pressed for a few seconds before driving
off.
(D Tips
You can find out if your vehicle is equipped
with "hill hold assist" at an authorized Au­
di dealer.

Cruise control
Introduction
The cruise control system keeps the speed
constant .
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed over 20 mph (US
model) or 30 km/h (Canadian model). This is
true only to the extent that engine power or
engine braking effect allow . Using the system
takes the strain off the "gas peda l foot" -es­
pec ial ly on long tr ips.
In the control mode, the indicator light in the
instrument cluster is lit
(Dj;(i )~i~ (US model) ,111
(Canadian model).
The cruise control system automatically
switches itself off imm ed iately under the fol­
lowing cond itions:
- Pressing the brake pedal.
- Pressing the clutch pedal.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control system is switched on.
You are always responsible for your
speed and the distance between your ve­ hicle and other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, the cruise control sys­ tem shou ld not be used in the city, in
stop-and-go traffic, on twisting roads
and when road conditions are poo r (such
as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
planing) -risk of accident.
- Turn off the cr uise control system tem­
porarily when entering turn lanes, high­
way exit lanes or in construction zones.
- Please note that inadvertently "rest ing"
your foot on the accelerator peda l causes
the cruise control system not to brake .
This is because the cruise contro l system
is overridden by the driver's acceleration.
(D Note
On manual transmission vehicles: If you
shift into neutral with the cruise contro l
On th e road 81
system switched on, always depress the
clutch pedal! Otherwise the engine will
race and could be damaged as a result .
(D Tips
When driving on steep downward grades,
the cruise control system cannot keep the
speed constant. The vehicle's own weight
increases the speed. Shift into a lower gear
i n plenty of t ime or brake the vehicle with
the foot brake .
Saving the speed
The desired speed must be saved.
Fig. 87 C ruise control system controls
.,. Dr ive at the speed you w ish to set.
.,. Pull the lever to position
(D c:> fig. 87 to
sw itch the system on.
.,. Briefly press button @.
After the button @is released, the current ve­
hicle speed is sto red and maintai ned, i.e. you
are driv ing in control mode.
Changing speed
The desired speed can be changed.
Fas ter
.,. Press lever up towards the 0 c:> page 81,
fig. 87.
.,. Release the lever to store the current speed .
Slower
.. Press lever down towards the O c:> page 81,
fig. 87.
.,. Release the lever to store the current speed. IJJl-

82 On the road
You can also increase your speed by pressing
the accelerator pedal. After you release the
accelerator pedal, the system automat ically
adjusts back down to the speed you previously
set .
However, if you exceed this speed by 5 mph
(10 km/h) for longer than 5 m inutes, the stor ­
ed speed will be deleted. You will have to re­
save it.
Briefly pressing lever
The desired speed is increased by about 2 mph
(2 km/h) by briefly pressing the lever upwards
towards
c:> page 81 , fig . 87 0 -
The desired speed is decreased by about 2
mph (2 km/h) by briefly pressing the lever
downwards towards
c:> poge 81, fig. 87G).
Switching control mode off temporarily
.. Step on the brake pedal, or
.. Depress the clutch pedal all the way, or
.. Press the lever towards @(not latched)
c> page 81, fig. 87 .
When the system is turned off temporarily,
the speed stored at the time is retained.
To resume the stored speed, release the brake
or clutch pedal and pu ll the lever to position
(D .
If no desired speed was stored when the sys­
tem was temporarily switched
off, you can
store a new desired speed as follows: Drive at
the desired speed and briefly press button
c> page 81, fig. 87 @ (SET) .
A WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed
if it is not too fast for the current traffic
conditions - risk of an accident!
Deactivating
.. Press leve r into position @(latc hed)
¢ page 81, fig. 87.
The saved speed value is deleted when the ig­
nition is switched
off.
(D Tips
Switch the cruise control system off com­
pletely at the end of each trip. When you
start the next trip, the desired speed can
be set simp ly from the basic setting
c>poge 81.
Audi magnetic ride
Damping con be adjusted to the driver's pref­
erence and it adapts automatically to the cur­
rent driving situation .
Fig. 88 Center console: Sw itch for Audi magnet ic ride
.. Press the switch c:> fig. 88 to turn sport set-
ting on or
off.
Audi magnet ic rid e is an elec tronically con­
trolled damping system . This chassis system
assists the driver by adapting to the particular
situation through imperceptible control proc­
esses. The
damping provides individual modu­
lation of damp ing forces. For examp le, w ith
damp ing characteristics set to provide greater
comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for
a brief period only as required, when rounding
a curve and when braking.
Standard setting
Select the standard setting if you prefer a sus­
pension setting emphasiz ing comfort.
Sport setting
Select the sport setting i f you prefer a spo rty
suspension setting . The LED in the switch
g
comes on to indicate sport setting .

@ Tips
The warning/indicator light E in the instru­
ment cluster comes on in the event of a
malfunct ion. Dr ive to the closest author­
ized Aud i dealer as soon as possible and
have the malfunction repaired.
On th e ro ad 83

84 Manual transmission
Manual transmission
Launch Control
Program
Applies to vehicles: with VlO engi ne and manua l trans­
mission
The Launch Control Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration.
Requirement : The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned.
• With the engine runn ing, press the
[!I but­
ton one time. The ESP indicator light
fi in
the Driver Information System display illu­
minates and the message
ESP sport· Warn­
ing! Restricted stability
appears.
• Press the clutch and hold it down.
• Engage the first gear.
• Press the accelerator peda l all the way down
until the engine speed remains steady at
6500 RPM.
• Release the clutch carefully~.&_ .
.&_ WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and
traffic conditions a llow it and other driv­
ers wi ll not be endangered or annoyed by
your driv ing and the vehicle's accelera­
tion.
- Please note that the driving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when ESP is sw itched off, especially
when the road is slippery.
- Once you have accelerated, you should
switch the ESP back on by pressing the
l:m
button.
(D Tips
- When accelerating using the Launch
Control program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. This can result in
i ncreased wear.
- The Launch Control Program only func­
tions when the parking brake is released and
the vehicle speed is less than 3 mph
(5 km/h).

Automated manual transmission
Description
App lies to vehicles: with R tro nic
Fig . 89 S hift pattern
F ig. 90 Display : Gear s engaged
R tronic is an au tomated manua l transm iss ion
in which the function of the cl utch and shift­
ing is controlled by an electronic system.
The gears are engaged manua lly, sim ilarly to
a manual transmission. The gears ca n also be
shifted automatica lly. The engine can be
started and switched off in all gears .
The selected mode of operation, the gear en­ gaged and the spor t funct ion are shown in the
Driver Information Sys tem display ¢
fig. 90.
M · Manual operation
In th is operating mode, you shift the forward
gears us ing the selecto r lever
¢ page 86 or
the shift paddles on the multifunction steer­ i ng whee l
¢page 87.
A - Automati c operation
In th is operating mode, the forward gears are
shifted up or down depending on engine load
and vehicle speed ¢
page 87.
Autom ated manual tr an sm iss ion 85
R -Rever se g ear
Reve rse gear m ust only be engaged when the
vehicle is
stationary and the engine is running
at id le speed
~ ,1. .
To engage reverse gear, you have to press the
brake pedal, move the selec to r lever to the
right and tip it towards R. In reverse gear, the
back up lights ill uminate when the ignition is
on .
N -Neutral
To engage neu tral, yo u have to move these­
lector lever to the left or to the right .
If re­
verse gear is engaged, move the selector lever
to the left . If a forward gear is engaged , move
the selector lever to the right.
Sport function
T he sport function is sw itched on by pressing
the
I SPORT I b utton. The engine's power re­
serves can be used fully by upshifts later. Shift
t ime is decreased and acce lerator pedal re­
sponse is improved . In addition, in manua l op­
eration the eng ine does
not sh ift a utomat ical­
ly into the next gear before it has reached the
maximum perm iss ible engine speed . In auto ­
matic operat io n, upsh ifting cont inues auto­
matically .
_&. WARNING
- If a gear is engaged when the veh icle is
stat ionary, the accelera to r must not be
pressed inadvertent ly under any circum ­
stances . Otherwise the vehicle wi ll im­
mediately start to move· sometimes
even if the park ing brake is firmly ap­
plied.
- Before you or other persons open the en ­
gine compartment lid and work on a run­ ning engine, select neutral pos ition N
a nd firmly app ly the handbrake . Follow
the warning notes.
(!} Tips
If you accidenta lly shifted into N w hile
driving, you can engage a gear in the nor­ mal way us ing the selecto r lever.

86 Automated manual transmi ssion
Manual operation
Appl ies to vehicles: with R tronic
R tronic allows the driver to shift gears man­
ually.
Starting from a s top
,,. Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
,,. Move the selector lever to the left.
,,. Tap the se lector lever forward
G) .
,,. Re lease the brake pedal and accelerate
c:> & .
Shifting
,,. To shift up, tap the selector lever forward
G) .
,,. To shift down, tap the selector lever to the
rear Q.
Stopping t empor arily
,,. Prevent the vehicle from moving by using
the foot brake, e.g. at traffic signals .
,,. Do not acce lerate. If you do not press either
the brake pedal or the acce lerator pedal for
some time when stationary, neutra l position
N is engaged automatically and a chime
sounds.
P ark ing
,,. Press and ho ld the brake pedal c:> A .
,,. Apply the hand brake firm ly.
,,. Engage a gear.
,,. Switch the ignition
off.
St opping on an incline
,,. Always keep the veh icle stationary using the
foot brake to prevent it from "rolling back"
c:> A . Do not try to prevent the vehicle from
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creasing engine speed.
,,. Apply the hand brake firmly.
St arting on a h ill
,,. With a gear engaged, remove your foot from
the brake, accelerate and s low ly release the
hand brake.
When acce lerating, R tronic shifts into the
next gear in gears 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 shortly be- fore the maximum permissible engine speed
is reached. Exception: You have activated the
sport funct ion
r::!) page 85 .
If you have se lected a lower gear than the c ur­
rent one, R tronic will shift down only when
the engine wi ll not be over-revved .
You can swi tch to a utoma tic operation at any
t ime
<:!)page 87.
& WARNING ~
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
r u nning while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle with the engine running, set the park ing brake f irm ly and engage neu­
tral N.
- With the engine r unning and a gear en­
gaged, you have to hold the veh icle w ith
the foot brake .
- Do not accelerate when you sh ift gears
with the vehicle stationary and the en­
g ine runn ing.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re­
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with R tronic .
- Do not ride the brakes or apply the brake
pedal too often or too long . Constant
brak ing causes the brakes to overheat
and substantially reduces braking per­
formance, increases braking d istance or
causes complete failure of the brake sys­
tem .
(D Note
If you must stop on an incline, always ho ld
the veh icle in place with the foot b rake to
prevent it from rolling back. Neve r ho ld
the veh icle on an incline with a slipping
clutch. The clutch was overloaded if
C lutch
overheat ing! If po ssible ple ase stop vehi­
cle appears in the Driver Informat ion Sys­
tem d isplay.

Automatic operation
Applies to vehicles: with R tronic
The forward gears are shi~ed up or down au­
tomatically.
S tartin g from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Tap the se lector lever towards A.
.. Release the brake pedal and acce lerate
c::, A.
in Manual operation on page 86.
Under certain circumstances (driving in the
mounta ins for example), it can be beneficial
to switch temporarily to the manua l shift pro­
gram
c::> page 86 in order to adjust the gear ra­
tios to driving conditions manually.
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles : with R tronic
When you depress the accelerator pedal be­
yond the resistance point, R tronic downshifts
into a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed
and engine rpm . The ups hift into the next
h igher gear takes place once the max imum
specified engine speed is reached. Exception:
You have activated the sport funct ion.
A WARNING
Please note that the d rive whee ls can spin
if kick -down is used on a smooth slippery
road - there is a risk of skidding .
Launch Control
Program
Applies to vehicles : with R tronic
The Launch Control Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration.
Requirement: The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
.. With the engine running, press the
[!I but­
ton one t ime. The ESP indicator light
fi in
the Driver Information System display illu­ minates and the message
ESP sp ort -W arn­
in g! Re str icte d s tab ility
appears .
Autom ated manual tr an sm iss ion 8 7
.. Press the brake pedal with your left foot and
hold it down.
.. Engage a gear.
.. Press the
ISPORT I button on the selector lev­
er cover.
.. Press the accelerator pedal w ith your right
foot simultaneously unt il the eng ine has
reached a constant speed .
.,. Remove your left foot from the brake
c::, ,& .
A WARNING
-Always adapt your dr iv ing to the traffic
f low.
- On ly use La unch Control when road and
traffic conditions allow it and other driv­
ers will not be endangered or annoyed by
your driving and the vehicle's accelera­
tion.
- Please note that t he driving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when ESP is switched off, especially
when the road is slippery .
- Once the starting procedure is complete,
you should sw itch ESP on again by press­
ing the
[!I switch.
(D Tips
When accelerat ing using the Launch Con­
trol program, all vehicle parts are sub ject
to heavy loads. This can result in increased
wear.
Steering wheel with
shift paddles
Applies to veh icles: with R tronic
The shi~ paddles allow you to select gears
manually at the steering wheel.
F ig . 91 Sport steering wheel: S hift padd les

88 Automated manual transmi ssion
• To shift down, press the paddle on the left
o .
• To shift up, press the paddle on the right G) .
Of course, you can continue to use the manual
shift p rogram with the selector lever in the
center console .