Research & Development

Introduced in the Summer's Over Update for Asphalt 8: Airborne, Research & Development, known as R&D for short, is a single player laboratory-style special event that introduces four new game elements: Lab, Test, Quality Checks, and Proto Keys, as well as a number of modifications to existing elements, such as R&D Basic Kit Box, or car-specific free upgrades. As in the Car Mastery, the R&D selection, loading, and pre-race screen introduce a new graphic language.

In contrast with Car Mastery, the R&D is more story-oriented. It focuses on telling the story of a car development with the player and other scientists from the car's company being involved.

Cars unlockable via R&D can be purchased for a limited time outside of their events, although they can only be purchased with tokens and tend to be extremely expensive.

R&D Events
An overview of all stats of all the previous events was published by Dr. Martin Kneip. Most of the information can be found on the respective page of the R&D event.

Since the Enduro Update, R&D events usually occurred after the end of an Enduro Double Down event and before the next EDD event. Since the Championship Update, R&D events now follow a Championship and are followed by an EDD.

Lamborghini Huracán
The first event was published on October 1, 2015 for iOS, featuring the Lamborghini Huracán with 3 Labs spanning 30 Tests. Players were given 32 days to start the challenge, with 15 days to complete the challenge. Since the Lunar New Year Update, they are instead given 10 days to start the challenge.

The same event was relaunched after one day (on November 4, 2015), this time lasting less days; however it was not available for all users, the reason being unclear. The upgrades you bought on the car remain; however, you had to start all Labs/Tests from the beginning. When you finished a test you had already done the first time, you were greeted by a message accusing you of "cheating": "Reward already claimed This reward was already claimed, and now that you have reset your profile, it cannot be claimed again. This is normal behavior if you have used cheats."

Following the Alfa Romeo 4C in the Lunar New Year Update, the Huracán was featured again as the sixth Research & Development event, published on March 9, 2016.

Just like all the other R&D cars, if a player upgraded the Huracán in the previous event, the upgrades are still applied and the tests rewards will be given out again even if you have already claimed during the Huracán's first R&D. However, if the car was already maxed out prior to the event's revival, any free upgrades re-earned during the R&D will be useless.

Lamborghini Egoista
The second event was published on December 19, 2015, featuring the Lamborghini Egoista with 4 Labs spanning 65 Tests. Players are given 15 days once they start the challenge.

This event was revived as the ninth R&D event in the Elite Cars Update after the Mosler Super GT's R&D event on May 11, 2016.

Peugeot SR1
The third event was published on January 20, 2016 after the Lamborghini Egoista's R&D event, featuring the Peugeot SR1 with 4 Labs spanning 45 tests. Players are given eight days once they start the challenge.

This event was revived as the 11th R&D event in the Enduro Update after the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe Touring Car 2014's R&D event on July 14, 2016.

ED Design Torq
This event was published as the fourth R&D event in the Monkey's Year Update on February 4, 2016, with 4 Labs spanning 50 Tests. Players are given 10 days once they start the challenge.

This R&D event is the first R&D event to be themed differently; in this case, it was given a Lunar New Year theme. The same applies to the Renault Alpine Celebration.

This event was revived as the 14th R&D event in the Rio de Janeiro Update after the Aston Martin One-77's revived Enduro Double Down event on September 29, 2016, this time without the Chinese New Year theme.

Alfa Romeo 4C
This event was published as the fifth R&D event after the ED Design Torq's R&D event in the Monkey's Year Update on February 25, 2016, originally with 3 Labs spanning 35 Tests. Since the Rio de Janeiro Update, players are given 15 days once they start the challenge (originally seven days). The event now has 5 Labs spanning 50 Tests. The layout of the Tests and Labs is heavily similar to the Mosler Super GT.

This event was revived as the 13th R&D event in the Rio de Janeiro Update after the BXR Bailey Blade GT1's Enduro Double Down event on September 4, 2016.

BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage
This event was published as the seventh R&D event in the Elite Cars Update in late March 2016, with 4 Labs spanning 50 Tests. Players are given 14 days once they start the challenge. The layout of the Tests and Labs is reused from the ED Design Torq, but is much more difficult in comparison.

This event was revived as the 19th R&D event in the Lunar New Year 2017 Update after the McLaren MP4/8's Championship event on March 3rd, 2017.

Mosler Super GT
This event was published as the eighth R&D event in the Elite Cars Update after the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage's R&D event in mid-April 2016, with 5 Labs spanning 50 Tests. Players are given 14 days once they start the challenge.

This event was revived as the 16th R&D event in the Multiplayer League Update after the Falcon F7's Enduro Double Down event on November 22, 2016.

Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe Touring Car 2014
This event was published as the tenth R&D event in the Enduro Update after the Weber Faster One's Enduro Double Down event in mid-late June 2016, with 4 Labs spanning 50 Tests. Players are given 12 days once they start the challenge.

W Motors Fenyr Supersport
This event was published as the 12th R&D event in the Rio de Janeiro Update after the Aston Martin One-77's Enduro Double Down event on August 9th, 2016, with 4 Labs spanning 65 Tests. Players are given 15 days once they start the challenge. The layout of the Tests and Labs is reused from the Lamborghini Egoista.

GT by CITROEN
This event was published as the 15th R&D event in the Multiplayer League Update after the Icona Vulcano V12 Hybrid's Enduro Double Down event on October 25th, 2016, with 4 Labs spanning 50 Tests. Players are given 14 days once they start the challenge. The layout of the Tests and Labs is reused from the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage and ED Design Torq.

Arash AF10
This event was published as the 17th R&D event in the Championship Update after the McLaren M14A's Championship on December 23, 2016 with 4 Labs spanning 60 Tests. Players are given 12 days once they start the challenge. The layout of the Tests and Labs is heavily similar to those of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage and ED Design Torq, but with more Tests.

Renault Alpine Celebration
This event was published as the 18th R&D event in the Lunar New Year 2017 Update after the McLaren Mercedes MP4-25's Championship on January 25, 2017, with 4 Labs spanning 50 Tests. Players are given 10 days once they start the challenge. The layout of the Tests and Labs is reused completely from the ED Design Torq, but with a slight difference: the fifth Ultimate AI Challenge occurs at Test 043 instead of Test 044.

This is also the second R&D event to carry a Lunar New Year theme.

Lotus Evora Sport 410
This event will be published as the 20th R&D event in the Car Blueprints Update after the McLaren MP4-31's Championship in April 2017.

Research & Development Intro Screens
Push the capabilities of the [R&D boss car name] to new extremes by working as an R&D driver and mastering different development tests.

Every test you complete will help you to develop perfectly engineered upgrades that will maximize your car's potential.

Collect Quality Checks during Validation Tests to push performance beyond the limits and develop new upgrades.

Put your car to the ultimate test by going head-to-head against an advanced AI, programmed to calculate the [R&D boss car's manufacturer name/Torq]'s ultimate path and performance, in the Ultimate AI Challenge!

For security purposes, the Proto Keys are made of a special material that will dissolve after one race. Use them wisely -- it takes time to make more!

Complete all [30-65] R&D tests within [7-15] days to get the [R&D boss car name] for free, as well as other amazing rewards. All upgrades applied during tests will remain on the car after the R&D process is finished.

Normal Intro Screens =

Trivia

 * The sound effect played when collecting a reward in R&D would later be reused for Championships.
 * From the Elite Cars Update onwards, it is now possible to see the quote for a test in the loading screen.
 * As of the Enduro Update, the sound effect played when refilling Proto Keys is no longer used when a Proto Key is used.
 * As of the Enduro Update, in the race countdown, during Ultimate AI Challenges, the text that says "Ultimate AI Challenge" is now in all capital letters.