2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER ESP

Transmission
Transmission Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
Applies to vehicles: with manua l transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the way
before you can start the engine .
The manual transmission in your Audi is equipped
with an
interlock-feature.
• Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
• Start the engine with the gearshift lever in Neu­
tral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears. Do not hold the vehicle on a
hill with the clutch pedal partially depressed.
This may cause premature clutch wear or
damage.
(D Tips
- Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you shift into
Reverse with the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
App lies to vehicles: with 6-speed manual transmission
Fig. 83 Gearshift pattern: 6-speed manual transm iss ion
Drive in 6th gear for optimum fuel economy
when cruising. However, if more acceleration is
required (when passing, for examp le), sh ift
down.
74
Engaging reverse gear (R)
• Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down, then push it backward.
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehicle
completely, shift into
Neutral and rest the shift
l ever briefly in Neutral before shifting into
Re­
verse.
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles : wit h VlO engin e and manual t ra nsmissio n
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration.
Requirement: The engine must be at operat ing
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned.
• With the engine running, press the button
l:fil
one time. The ESC indicator light II in the
Dr iver Informat ion System display illum inat es
and the message
ESC sport -Warning! Re­
stricted stability appears .
• Press the clutch and hold it down.
• Engage the first gear.
• Press the accelerator pedal all the way down
until the engine speed remains steady at 6500
RPM .
• Release the clutch carefully~,&. .
A WARNING
- Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic conditions allow it and other drivers will
not be endange red or annoyed by your driv­
ing and the vehicle's acceleration .
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin
and the vehicle can break away when ESC is
sw itched off, especially when the road is
slippery .
- Once you have accelerated, you should
switch the ESC back on by pressing the but­
ton
00 .
(D Tips
- When accelerating using the Launch Control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to .,..

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
heavy loads. This can result in increased
wear .
- The Launch Control Program only funct ions
when the parking brake is released and the
vehicle speed is less than 3 mph (5 km/h).
S tronic
Description
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
Fig. 84 Shift pattern
Fig. 85 Display : selected gea rs
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically­
controlled manual transmission called S tronic .
Two independent clutches transfer the power be­
tween the eng ine and transmission. They replace
the torque converter used in conventional auto­
mat ic transmissions and allow the vehicle to ac­
celerate without a noticeable interruption in trac­
tion .
The selected mode of operation, the gear engag­ ed and the sport function are shown in the Dr iver
Information System display ¢
fig. 85.
M -Manual operation
In this operating mode, you shift the forward
gears using the selector lever
r=>v page 76 or the
Transmission
shift paddles on the multifunction steering wheel
¢ page 78.
A - Automatic operation
In this operating mode, the forward gears are
shifted up or down depending on engine load and
vehicle speed
¢ page 77.
R- Reverse
Only s hift into reverse gear when the vehicle is
stationary and the engine is runn ing at idle
speed ¢
Li')...
To engage reverse gear, you have to press the
brake pedal, move the selector lever to the right
and t ip it towards
R. In reverse gear, the backup
lights illuminate when the ignition is on .
N -Neutral
To engage neutral, you have to move the selector
lever to the left or to the right . If reverse gear is
engaged,
move the selector lever to the left . If a
forward gea r is engaged, move the selector lever
to the right.
Sport function
The sport function is switched on by pressing the
I SPORT ! button on the selector lever cover . Up ­
shifting at a higher RPM makes full use of the en­
gine's power . Shift time is decreased and acceler­
ator pedal response is improved . In addition, in
manua l operation the engine does
not shift au to­
matically into the next gear before it has reached
the maximum permissible engine speed. In auto ­
matic operation, upshifting continues automati­
cally.
P -Automatic parking lock
The automatic parking lock is engaged immedi­
ately after you remove the key. The automatic
parking lock is also engaged if you turn off the
engine while in the A, R, or manual mode posi­
tions .
If you turn off the engine while in the N position
and leave the vehicle key in the ignition, the
transmission remains in the N position for ap­ proximately 20 minutes and then activates the
automatic parking lock . If vehicle movement is
detected within that 20 minutes based on
IIJI.
75

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) ..,.,
N ..,., .....
(D Note
If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in p lace with the foot brake to pre­
vent it from rolling back. Do not try to prevent the vehicle from rolling back when the gear is
engaged by increasing speed, as this may
damage the clutch.
Automatic mode
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
St arting fro m a stop
"' Press and hold the brake pedal.
"' Tap the se lector lever towards A.
"' Re lease the brake pedal and press the accelera-
tor pedal
¢ ,&. in Manual mode on page 76.
Under certain circumstances (driving in the
mounta ins for example), it can be beneficia l to
switch temporarily to the manual shift program
¢
page 76 in order to adjust the gear ratios to
driving conditions
manually.
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, S tronic downsh ifts into a
lower gear, depending on vehicle speed and en­
g ine rpm. It shifts up into the next higher gear
once the maximum specified engine RPM is reached . Exception: you have activated the sport
function.
.&, WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slic k or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
l) Market -spec ifi c
-
Tra nsm issio n
Launch control program
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
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!]!
!ESC OFFjll button one time . The Ill indicator
light and the message
ESC S port - Cau tion!
Limi ted stabil ity! appears in the driver infor­
mation system display.
"' Press the brake pedal with your left foot and
hold it down.
"' Engage a gear.
"' Press the
I SPORT ! button on the selecto r lever
cover.
"' Press the accelerator pedal at the same time
with your right foot unti l the engine has
reached a constant speed.
"' Remove your left foot from the brake¢.&_ .
A WARNING
--
- Always adapt your dr iving to the traffic flow.
- Only use the Launch control program when
road and traffic cond itions allow it and oth­
er drivers will not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin
and the vehicle can b reak away when ESC is
sw itched off, espec ial ly when the road is
slippery .
- Once you have accelerated, you sho uld
sw itch the ESC back on by pressing the
[fil
but ton.
(D Tips
- The tra nsmission temperature may increase
signif icant ly afte r using the Launch Contro l
Program. If that happens, the program may
not be availab le for a few minutes . It wi ll be
available again after a cool-down period .
77

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 .....
area roughly corresponds to the area in¢ fig. 91
and (D ~ fig . 92. Orientation lines and colored
surfaces are projected in the area shown, which
can help you with parking and maneuvering. Ob­
jec ts that are located in an area that is not cap­
tured by the camera@¢
fig. 92 and that are
closer to the bumper will not appea r on the navi­
gation system display .
We recommend that you practice park ing with
the rearview camera in a traffic -free location o r
parking lot to become familiar w ith the system,
the orientation lines, a nd their funct ion . There
should be suff icient light and good weather con­
d itions w hen do ing so.
In the nav igat io n system display, objects or
vehicles appear closer or fu rther away if:
Objects or vehicles appear closer or farther away in the navigation system if :
- you are driving in reverse gear from a level sur ­
face onto an incl ine, or a downward slope,
- you are driving in reverse gear toward protrud-
ing objects .
The accuracy o f the orientation lines and blue
surfaces diminishes if:
- the rearv iew came ra does not p rovide a reliab le
image, for example, in poor visibility cond itions
or if the lens is d irty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
s u n g lare and reflect ion.
Caring for th e rearvi ew cam era len s
The rearview camera is located in the center of
the vehicle above the rear license p late bracket.
In order for the rearview camera to function
p roperly, the camera lens must be kept clean and
free of snow and ice .
- Dampen the lens with a househo ld alcoho l­
based glass cleane r, and clea n the lens with a
dry cloth .
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice pref ­
erably with a de- ic ing spray ¢(j) .
A WARNING
- T he pa rking system cannot rep lace the d riv­
er' s a ttention . The d rive r alone is responsi-
P a rk ing system
ble for parking and simi lar d riving maneu­
vers.
- Sensors have blind spots in whic h objects
cannot be detected. Pay spec ia l attention to
small children and an imals beca use the sen­
sors cannot always detect them.
- Always keep your eyes on the vehicle 's sur­
round ings, using the rearview mirror as
well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted from
traffic by the rearview camera pictures in
the navigation system display .
-If the position and the installation angle of
the camera has changed, for example, after
a rear end collision, do not continue to use
the system fo r safety reasons . Have it
checked by a n author ized Audi dealer or oth­
er q ua lif ied wor kshop .
(!) Note
-Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a war ning
can disappea r from the system 's detection
range as they a re approached and w ill not
cont in ue to be s ignaled . Objec ts such as
barrie r cha ins, trailer draw ba rs, narrow
painted vertical poles o r fences may not be
detected by the system, pos ing risk of dam­
age .
- Never use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow or ice from the rearv iew camera lens
because the lens could crack .
- Never use products that a re abrasive when
cleaning the lens .
81

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
Reverse parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in a
garage or into a parking space .
Fig. 95 Navigation system display : Aiming at a p arkin g
spot
Fig. 96 Naviga tion sy ste m display: Al ig ni ng t he ve hicle
"'Switch the navigation system and the display of
the navigation system on.
"'Select the reverse gear.
"'Turn the steering wheel until the orange orien­
tation lines(!) appear in the parking spot
c> fig. 95. Use the markings @to help you esti­
mate the distance from an obstacle. Each mark­
ing represents 3
ft. (1 m). The blue area repre­
sents an extension of the vehicle's outline by
approximately 16
ft. (5 m) to the rear .
"'While driving in reverse gear, adjust the steer­
ing wheel angle to fit the parking spot with the
aid of the orange orientation lines
c> 0 . ®
marks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle once
the red orientation line@ touches an object
¢&, .
_& WARNING
-The rearview camera does not show the en­
tire area behind the vehicle
c> page 80,
Parking system
fig. 92. Watch out especially for small chil­
dren and animals. The rear view camera can­
not always detect them, posing risk of an
accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be farther away than
they really are (for example, the bumper of
a vehicle or the rear of a truck). In this case,
you should not use the orientation lines to
help with parking, which poses danger of an
accident!
(D Note
In the navigation system display, the direction
of travel of the vehicle rear is represented de­ pending on the steering wheel angle. The ve­
hicle front swings out more than the vehicle
rear. Maintain plenty of distance so that your
outside mirror or a corner of your vehicle does
not collide with any obstacles. This can dam­
age to your vehicle.
83

Parking system
Parallel parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Use parking mode 2 to help you parallel park
along the side of a street.
Fig . 97 Na vigation system d isplay : Blue sur face aligned
wit h parking spot
0
-
Fig. 98 Navigatio n system display: The blue cu rved line
contacting the curb
The following steps app ly only when there is no
obstacle such as a wall near the parking spot.
Otherwise, please read the information provided
in the "Parking Next to Obstacles" section .
• Activate the turn signal.
• Position your vehicle parallel to the edge of the
street, approximately 3 ft . (1 m) from a parked
vehicle.
" Switch the navigation system and the naviga­
tion system display on .
• Se lect reverse gear. The parking aid t urns on
and parki ng mode 1 appears on the display.
• Press the control button
1 on the navigat ion
system
9fig . 97. Parking mode 2 appears.
•B ackup and align your vehicle so the blue area
@ borde rs on the rear end of the vehicle or on
the parking spot line. The blue area represents
an extension of the vehicle's outline by approxi­
mately 16 ft (5 meters) to the rear. The long
84
side o f the b lue area should be on the curb . The
entire blue area must fit into the parking spot .
"W ith the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the right as far as it will go.
• Back into the parking spot until the blue curve
touches the curb
9 fig . 98. Stop the veh icle .
" With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the left as far as it wi ll go .
• Con tinue to back into the parking spot until the
veh icle is parked parallel to the curb .@ marks
the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle when the red
orientation line@ borders an object
9 ,&.
Keep an eye on the front of yo ur vehicle while
doing this
c> (D.
Parking next to obstacles
When there is an obstacle (such as a wall) next to
the parking spot, choose a spot with more space
on the sides . Position the long side of the blue
area so that there is sufficient space from the
curb. The area must not be on the curb . You will
also need to start turning the steering wheel
much earlier. There should be a sufficient amoun t
of space between the curb and the blue curve,
and the blue curve¢
fig. 98 must not touch the
cu rb.
_& WARNING
- The rearview camera does not show the en­
tire area behind the vehicle
c> page 80,
fig .
92. Watch out especially for small chil­
dren and animals. Th e rear view camera can­
not a lways detect them, posing risk of an
accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be farther away than
they really are (for example, the bumper of
a vehicle or the rear of a truck). In this case,
you should not use the orientation lines to
he lp with parking, wh ich poses danger of an
accident!
(D Note
In the navigation system disp lay, the direction
of travel of the vehicle rear is represented de­
pending on the steering wheel angle. The ve­
hicl e front swings out more than the vehicle
rear . Maintain plenty of distance so that your
lllJ,,

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is respons ible for the safety of the ve­
h icle and all of its occupants . If your ability to
d rive is impaired, safety r isks for everybody in the
ve hicle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road ¢A -Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by us ing a cell ular te lephone.
• NEV ER dr ive when your dr iv ing ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, dr ugs, e tc.).
• Observe all traffic laws, ru les of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
• ALWAYS ad just your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
• Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch .
• Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under pres­
sure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal in ju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Proper occupant seating
positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
F ig. 10 0 Correct seating position
.
Driving S afely
For yo ur own sa fety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the dr iver's seat to the following
pos ition:
• Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis ­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steer ing whee l and your breast bone
¢ fig. 100 .
• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent<=>
A .
• Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with your
elbow(s) slightly bent .
• Adjust the head rest rain t so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w it h t he top of yo ur head.
If
that is no t possib le, try to ad just the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this pos ition as
possible .
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face .
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upr ight position so that you r bac k comes in
full contact with it when you dr ive.
• Fas ten and wear safe ty belts corre ct ly
<=>page 95.
• Always keep both feet in the footwe ll so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed inform ation on how to adj ust the
driver's seat, see¢
page 56, General recommen ­
dations.
A WARNING
-Drivers who are unbelted, o ut of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­
jured by an airbag as it dep loys. To help re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adj ust the driver 's seat and the
steer ing whee l so that there are at least
10 i nches (25 cm) between your breastbo ne
and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver 's seat and the
steer ing whee l so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lowe r part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on t he out­
side of the steer ing wheel r im with yo ur
hands at the 9 o 'clock and 3 o'clock
87

..... N
r--­N "': ..... \!) ..,.,
N ..,., .....
to incorrect position ing of the sa fety belt
and improper seating posit ion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
<=> page 122. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front pas­
senger seat
<=> page 102.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Fig . 101 H ea d re str ain t: v ie w ed fro m the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection .
.. Fo r adjustable head restraints: adj ust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi ­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos ­
sible, t ry to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this pos ition as possib le
<=> fig . 101.
Adj usting head restraints<=> page 58.
&_ WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Dr iv ing without head restraints or w ith head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injuriy
dramatically . To help reduce the risk of inju ry:
- Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly adjusted .
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
properly ad justed head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head rest raints so the upper edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of you r head .
If that is not possib le, try to ad just the head
res traint so that it is as close to this position
as possib le,
Dr iving Sa fel y
-Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safe ly before at­
tempt ing to adjust the head restraint .
- Ch ildren must a lways be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size <=>
page 122 .
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupan t res traint sys tem can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious in­
jury or death. Safety belts can on ly work when
they are properly pos it ioned on the body . Im ­
proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety be lts and will eve n increase the r isk of
i njury and dea th by mov ing the safety be lt to c rit ­
ical areas of the body. Imp roper seat ing pos itions
also increase the risk of serio us injury and death
when an airbag dep loys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the prope r seat ing pos ition. A driver
is respons ible for the safety of a ll vehicle occu­
pan ts and espec ially for children. Therefore :
.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
Q &. -
The following bullets lis t on ly some samp le posi ­
tions that will increase the risk of serious inj ury
and death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous .
Therefore, whene ver the vehicle is movi ng:
-never stand up i n the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r ride w ith the seatback reclined
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet o ut the window
- neve r put your feet on the instrument pane l
89