Audi isn't planning to give its R8 supercar a small-displacement turbocharged engine anytime soon, but it has provided buyers one way to save a significant chunk of its price by opting for rear-wheel drive. The 2018 Audi R8 RWS (Rear-Wheel Series), powered by the same 5.2-liter V10 engine as the Coupe and Spyder, will go on sale with a base price of $139,950 (including its $1,250 destination fee). A representative for the German automaker said it will arrive in "early summer."

While it may not be the R8 V6 model rumored over the last few years (and categorically denied recently), the R8 RWS represents a massive price decrease versus the standard, all-wheel drive R8. When all is said and done, the RWS is $26,200 less than its Quattro sibling. The R8 RWS sheds a fair bit of weight in the process of losing its front-wheel running gear. According to Audi, the RWS tips the scales at 3,505 pounds, which is some 230-pounds lighter than the all-wheel-drive V10 Coupe. Output remains at 540 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0–60 mph sprint in 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 198 mph.

By comparison, the all-wheel-drive R8 V10 will rocket to 60 mph in a more scant 3.5 seconds, but it will likely be the RWS model to reach terminal velocity first. Additional changes for the RWS include 10-percent stiffer anti-roll bars and an extra half-degree of negative camber in the rear. A total of 999 units will be built, of which 320 examples will come to the United States, reports Motor Trend. So while this might be the perfect rear-wheel-drive exotic drift machine, you may not want to risk putting this limited-production model into the Armco barriers.