Mirage77

Feb 07, 2007, Nick Syn
Let It Ride

In a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail , Arthur and his band of idiot knights skip visiting Camelot on account of it being “a silly place”. The same could be said of Las Vegas, actually, so it did come off initially as just a bit odd that Audi would choose the loudest and most over-the-top city in the world as the launch location for its first ever supercar.

There’s probably definite method to Audi’s madness, though. Apart from giving hacks the opportunity to win enough money to actually buy a supercar, everything in Las Vegas also happens to be rendered on an immense scale.

Huge is the order of the day, from the casinos to the size of the food portions, even the tourists are plus-sized, so the contrast between Audi’s spare, lightweight R8 and its environs could not be greater.

The R8 is Audi’s first mid-engined model ever, and serves as an unabashed halo model for the rest of the range. It uses Audi’s lightweight Aluminium Space Frame construction process, and will be built in tiny (by, say, Porsche’s standards) quantities in a new production facility at Audi’s Neckarsulm manufacturing site.

There are obvious similarities between the R8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo, both are mid-engined, made from aluminium and have four-wheel drive, but apart from these elements, Audi’s engineers insist that the cars are completely distinct. In any case, the more significant competitor (price-wise at least) that the R8 is up against looks to be the Porsche 911.

The basic R8 recipe calls for a 420bhp mid-mounted V8 engine, the same one from Audi’s excellent RS4 but with some subtle modifications, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and installed in an all-aluminium chassis, plus quattro four-wheel drive.

You can also specify carbon ceramic brakes, electromagnetic dampers, and a semi-automatic six-speed transmission dubbed R tronic.

The whole lot is clothed in a nearly indescribably gorgeous body. The R8 is compact, lean and elegant and yet taut with an easy muscularity that quite easily puts other supercars in the shade.

There’s plenty of delightful detailing, too, most notably the sleek headlamps with their striking LED daytime driving lights, and the ‘side blades’ on the car’s flanks that help to minimise the sense of mass that you’d otherwise get from the car’s mid-section.

Driving it

Audis haven’t been known for their handling prowess, except until recently with the introduction of the RS4 and new TT. But now, especially with the R8, this perception really is being comprehensively turned on its head.

The first thing that impresses is the quality of the ride. We didn’t get to try the R8 with normal dampers, but after sampling the electromagnetic versions’ breadth of ability, we’re not sure we’d even want to.

Body control is excellent in normal mode, and the ride is genuinely cosseting, even over cavalierly paved roads. Selecting sport for high speed work immediately stiffens up the ride, but it never really becomes crashy and unsettled.

Turn-in response is electric, genuine mid-engined sports car stuff, and grip levels, especially on the R8’s new generation Pirelli P Zeroes, are phenomenally high. Ultimately, the steering doesn’t quite establish the sort of intimacy you get with a 911’s setup, but it’s still very good.

The R8’s quattro drive system has been made heavily rear-biased for a sportier feel, with only 10 to 35 percent of the torque available actually getting sent to the front wheels.

The stability control system has a two stage intervention, you can switch off the traction control, and delay the stability control intervention, or switch everything off completely. Shutting down the traction control alone does allow a fair amount of oversteer fun.

Switch everything off, and it becomes easy-peasy to unstick the R8’s tail. Getting it back again is only a tiny bit more difficult as you don’t get that much help from front wheel traction, owing to the rear bias setup of the quattro system.

The main event, however, has to be the R8’s wonderful engine. The 4.2-litre direct injection V8 gets dry sump lubrication (to allow it to sit lower down in the engine bay), and two throttle bodies, the RS4’s version only gets one. The bald numbers are 420bhp, 430Nm of torque, a 0 to 100km/h time of 4.6 seconds, and a top whack of 303km/h.

It’s an immensely tractable powerplant, with 90 percent of the 430Nm of maximum torque available from 3,500 to 7,000rpm. 100 percent is available from 4,500 to 7,000rpm, so as you’d expect, the V8 pulls like a locomotive, and never seems to run out of puff.

It also sounds magnificent, a properly spine-tingling, snarly V8 bellow. And when you see what lengths Audi’s gone to in order to ensure an epic noise, you wouldn’t be surprised. There are even micro-holes drilled in precise locations in the intake tracts for a fruitier induction note.

The six-speed manual is the one to go for. It’s got a nice gearshift action and the clutch is a cinch to operate. The R tronic, like all semi-autos, isn’t all that smooth when left to its own devices, and tends to isolate you a bit from the action.

Inside it

Forget about the person next to you, the R8’s cabin is all about the driver. There’s a sliver of material, in carbon fibre, piano black trim or whatever else takes your fancy, that runs from the grab handle on the driver’s side door, up over the instrument cluster and back down to the transmission tunnel in a smooth arc, and the effect is to echo the feeling of sitting in a single-seater racing car. Audi calls this the monoposto, which means single-seat in Italian.

The instruments have a familiar Audi-family look to them, and are very easy to read. Everything’s built to Audi’s usual high standards, but this time there’s a genuinely special feel to the cabin. In fact, it’s the one car I’ve driven in recent memory that felt like it deserved, but didn’t actually have, a starter button. Maybe that’ll be reserved for the V10 version.

While the cabin is exceptionally roomy for occupants, there’s a bit of a lack of oddments space. You get a slim shelf behind the seats that will hold a couple of soft bags, but there’s nothing to keep them in place if you’re pressing on. The storage space under the bonnet is tiny, too, although Audi will offer some fitted luggage.

Dollars and Sense

Prices haven’t actually been set, but expecting to pay a bit more than what a well-specced Porsche 911 Carrera S costs seems very reasonable. This would put the R8 in the $450,000 to $480,000 region. Not too bad for something that looks like a million bucks.

Conclusion

The R8 is a deeply impressive effort for Audi, and a damned worthy halo car. The fact that Audi has got the jump on just about every other mainstream manufacturer with the R8 is icing on the cake.

It looks wonderful, goes like stink, and comes off as genuinely entertaining to drive, heady stuff. The fact that the R8 will only be made in tiny quantities, just over 4,000 cars a year, means that you’re unlikely to see very many on the road. And these days, when even the iconic 911 seems pretty much ubiquitous, that sort of exclusivity is pretty hard to come by.

Then again, exclusivity does have a downside. Apparently just eight cars are headed here this year, with most already spoken for, so if you want one, you’ll have to be quick.

Verdict:
An awesome effort from Audi, we want one...

(+)Fabulous looks, superb engine, great handling
(-)Not much by way of in-cabin storage, rear visibility a bit limited


NEED TO KNOW
ENGINE TYPE 4,163cc, 48V V8
MAX POWER 420bhp at 7,500rpm
MAX TORQUE 430Nm at 7,500rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed manual
TOP SPEED 303km/h
0-100KM/H 4.6 seconds
PRICE To be announced
WARRANTY To be announced
CONTACT Premium Automobiles
TELEPHONE 6566-1111

A comprehensive review for those of you who likes to read - this article is very detailed on how the R8 drives.

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Curb Zone

 

Audi4Life

perfect blend of everyday drivability and performance....this is one amazing piece of art and machinery.

RICHBOY

Sound like a great review, thanks!

Curb Zone