Road Test new Audi R8
Bring it on Audi - The first truly serious segment competitor to the Porsche 911............
“Things are moving at an extraordinarily rapid pace. I don’t know of another car brand in living memory that has made such a steep ascent in such a short time.” Not our words, of course, but those of dynamic Audi UK brand Director, Jeremy Hicks. And we quote them, because whilst hardly factual, he may just be right.
Audi has come on leaps and bounds. In the last six years sales have doubled from 43,000 in 2000, to 86,000 in 2006. Quite a feat in an increasingly complex, and ruthlessly competitive automotive world. But read on, for Mr Hicks isn’t finished yet, he goes on to say …..“Audi brand and product acceptance is remarkably high. There is nowhere this brand cannot go now in customer terms”.
The new Audi R8 is proof of that. In a segment dominated by Porsche (with the 911), and Mercedes Benz (with the SL) 93% of the market share in this segment is already taken. The other measly 7% squeezes in the Maserati Coupe and Jaguar XK/XKR. Maserati and Jaguar are unlikely to interrupt this arrangement that much, despite trying for a while – but Audi? No, this just isn’t their thing.
But with the R8, it is now. This new cheeky contender for the upper end daily sports car segment has hit the market with a bang, and jolted competitor marketing execs out of their beds. It’s drop dead gorgeous for a start, and when it hit the market in June 2007, 1,000 customers placed their orders straight away. That alone will have unsettled Porsche. What’s more, in the six or seven months the R8 has since sought to earn its stripes, it has competed on equal terms and won in many a test feature prior to this one.
Believable
On stats alone the story is believable. The class contenders that’ll make a difference to Audi’s bank balance in this segment (comparing like for like) are the Porsche Carrera S4, the Mercedes Benz SL 500, the Maserati Gransport, the Aston V8 Vantage, and the Jaguar XKR. Of these, says Audi, the R8 has the most powerful engine, is the highest revving, has the highest maximum speed, the best acceleration, and best power to weight ratio. They also reckon it is ‘likely’ to have the best residual value in the class – but that remains to be seen. What the R8 has to do, (and seems to be doing) is prove that Audi can mix it with this bunch and break the mould.
Appeal
If looks form part of that equation, (which of course they do) then the R8 immediately hits the mark. It is fresh and different, and on looks alone, a clear design/concept alternative for the one marque die-hards who genuinely want a change from yet another successor model looking very similar to the one they had last time. By contrast, the R8 has spectacular road presence, yet it is understated in achieving it. It sits low, it’s subtle, sexy, sophisticated, yet looks fast, serious and competent. You’ll never mistake this car for anything else as it oozes into vision – it sounds breathtaking for a start, and the aural symphony is visually accentuated by no less than 24 front-mounted LED day-time driving lamps and 186 - (yes 186) - LED brake lights. Yet beauty cannot afford to be only skin deep in this company, so there is the matter of what lies beneath it….
Pioneering technology
‘Vorsprung durch technik’ says Audi; phrase TV watchers know well, but if you’re still puzzled, it means ‘leadership through technology’ we are told. Audi certainly have a way with words. The R8 is a genuinely unique combination of futuristic construction, transmission, and suspension technologies underpinned by the well proven Quattro four wheel drive. The subtle curves of the body are all aluminium, courtesy of Audi Space Frame technology, weighing in at only 1,560 kg. The engine, an exceptionally high revving 4.2 litre petrol fed V8, generates a whopping 414 brake horsepower and, visible through the rear window, is a genuine piece of engineering art referred to by some as the engine; such a contrast to the uninspiring metal and plastic lumps we see in so many modern cars of today.
Lucky owners have a choice of a six speed manual transmission, or for around another five grand, the sequential R tronic gearbox with joystick and paddle control, using ‘shift by wire’ technology. The latter in our view should be passed over for the manual at this stage, as there’s still room for refinement to the R-tronic box. For the ride, there are two suspension options; a standard and highly competent front and rear double wishbone set up with traditional damper settings, or Audi’s new magnetic ride system – a system that has already proved its worth on the new Audi TT. The magnetic ride constantly monitors the road, and your driving style, constantly adjusting to achieve the best ride and handling combination. Whilst the standard suspension system is very good, especially for the purist, the magnetic ride option really does the job and is worth the additional £1,350 you’ll have to pay.
Stopping Power
A car with this kind of performance needs exceptional stopping power. The R8 comes with massive steel discs powered by no less than eight pistons up front and six at the back. And they more than do the job, but if you’ve got an extra £5,000, opt for the carbon ceramic brakes – with these you can drive at high speed all day, applying race-car style braking, yet maintain maximum efficiency and no fade; highly recommended for the hard core track day driver. For the rest of us, the ‘standard’ brakes do the job perfectly. What’s more, some drivers don’t like the instant ‘on’ ‘off’ feel you get from ceramics, or the brake feel when cold, so make your choice carefully. Five grand is five grand.
On the road
Driving the car. Now here is a true sense of occasion. The second you reach for the door handle you are stepping into something very special; every time. The quality of finish inside the car is first rate, regardless of price. The whole experience is the reason you will spend circa £80,000 on what is clearly Audi’s Jewel in the Crown.
The cockpit is surprisingly roomy, and there’s exceptional all round vision for a car of this kind. On ‘take off’ there’s plenty of power low down, but the R8 likes to work up the revs, and by the time you’re holding third and fourth, the car is well into its stride. And you’re smiling. The four wheel drive set up is reassuring, confidence inspiring and safe, complementing a beautifully balanced chassis and razor sharp steering; it all blends together so well, and you just know that you’ll really have to be going some to tease any wayward behaviour from the car. That’s reassuring for a car with this level of ability.
You need to be brave enough too, for pace is the R8’s forte. This car can easily outperform the driver – it’s up to you to earn its respect. Curiously, this is a point often made when referring to the driving characteristics of a 911. Can that be total coincidence? I doubt it. Audi studies Porsche, and Porsche studies Audi. The difference is that the Audi is a mid-engined car, so your driving style has to take account of the mid-engined contender being better seated and less ragged when punted hard through a fast snaking combination of left and right handers – that’s when you’ll find many a 911 wagging its tale trying to keep that engine in line with the directional momentum of the car, while the R8 puts it lower centre of gravity to advantage. It’s all about weight transfer, where the engine sits, and you.
With the R8, the two stage traction control disconnection switch gives you the option of experimenting with your own car control abilities, or leaving it up to the car–one switch for partial disengagement, and a three second press to totally disengage. Check your driving skills first, but the R8 won’t unsettle you, it’ll just behave differently, like it has a mind all of its own.
Most will simply enjoy the endless, confident, linear, yet unrelenting, progress this car makes in a straight line; the second and third gear overtaking ability simply adds to the pleasure, and not least the sound the R8 makes when you do it. High, but safe cornering limits allow you to progress smoothly and safely, and at much higher average speeds around bends than most cars are remotely capable of.
The icing on the cake is the R8’s ability to turn from road car to racer at the slightest hint, and if high speed driving is your thing, then you’ll be taking part in many a track day simply to be able to use your new Audi R8. Properly.
The car’s the Star
Either way, wherever you go and whatever you do, as an Audi R8 driver you will be a star. If you don’t want to be admired and waved at –look elsewhere. In town this car is a total show stopper. In the country it is fast, poetic, and pure visual drama. On the motorway it is ‘cool’, so don’t forget your shades. Tucked away in your garage it is wasted, yet an object of beauty to be admired. Emotion aside, being an Audi, you can expect it to be relatively trouble free and reliable. Yes, so now there is a genuine alternative to the icons we have known, and it is the Audi R8. Welcome ‘home’ Audi R8, your slippers are by the fire.
Kevin Haggarthy
Oct 2007.
Audi R8
Price: £76,725
Engine 4163 V8 32v
Power: 414 bhp `
0-62 -4.6 seconds
Top Speed 187 mph
Average Consumption 19.3 mpg
Audi has come on leaps and bounds. In the last six years sales have doubled from 43,000 in 2000, to 86,000 in 2006. Quite a feat in an increasingly complex, and ruthlessly competitive automotive world. But read on, for Mr Hicks isn’t finished yet, he goes on to say …..“Audi brand and product acceptance is remarkably high. There is nowhere this brand cannot go now in customer terms”.
The new Audi R8 is proof of that. In a segment dominated by Porsche (with the 911), and Mercedes Benz (with the SL) 93% of the market share in this segment is already taken. The other measly 7% squeezes in the Maserati Coupe and Jaguar XK/XKR. Maserati and Jaguar are unlikely to interrupt this arrangement that much, despite trying for a while – but Audi? No, this just isn’t their thing.
But with the R8, it is now. This new cheeky contender for the upper end daily sports car segment has hit the market with a bang, and jolted competitor marketing execs out of their beds. It’s drop dead gorgeous for a start, and when it hit the market in June 2007, 1,000 customers placed their orders straight away. That alone will have unsettled Porsche. What’s more, in the six or seven months the R8 has since sought to earn its stripes, it has competed on equal terms and won in many a test feature prior to this one.
Believable
On stats alone the story is believable. The class contenders that’ll make a difference to Audi’s bank balance in this segment (comparing like for like) are the Porsche Carrera S4, the Mercedes Benz SL 500, the Maserati Gransport, the Aston V8 Vantage, and the Jaguar XKR. Of these, says Audi, the R8 has the most powerful engine, is the highest revving, has the highest maximum speed, the best acceleration, and best power to weight ratio. They also reckon it is ‘likely’ to have the best residual value in the class – but that remains to be seen. What the R8 has to do, (and seems to be doing) is prove that Audi can mix it with this bunch and break the mould.
Appeal
If looks form part of that equation, (which of course they do) then the R8 immediately hits the mark. It is fresh and different, and on looks alone, a clear design/concept alternative for the one marque die-hards who genuinely want a change from yet another successor model looking very similar to the one they had last time. By contrast, the R8 has spectacular road presence, yet it is understated in achieving it. It sits low, it’s subtle, sexy, sophisticated, yet looks fast, serious and competent. You’ll never mistake this car for anything else as it oozes into vision – it sounds breathtaking for a start, and the aural symphony is visually accentuated by no less than 24 front-mounted LED day-time driving lamps and 186 - (yes 186) - LED brake lights. Yet beauty cannot afford to be only skin deep in this company, so there is the matter of what lies beneath it….
Pioneering technology
‘Vorsprung durch technik’ says Audi; phrase TV watchers know well, but if you’re still puzzled, it means ‘leadership through technology’ we are told. Audi certainly have a way with words. The R8 is a genuinely unique combination of futuristic construction, transmission, and suspension technologies underpinned by the well proven Quattro four wheel drive. The subtle curves of the body are all aluminium, courtesy of Audi Space Frame technology, weighing in at only 1,560 kg. The engine, an exceptionally high revving 4.2 litre petrol fed V8, generates a whopping 414 brake horsepower and, visible through the rear window, is a genuine piece of engineering art referred to by some as the engine; such a contrast to the uninspiring metal and plastic lumps we see in so many modern cars of today.
Lucky owners have a choice of a six speed manual transmission, or for around another five grand, the sequential R tronic gearbox with joystick and paddle control, using ‘shift by wire’ technology. The latter in our view should be passed over for the manual at this stage, as there’s still room for refinement to the R-tronic box. For the ride, there are two suspension options; a standard and highly competent front and rear double wishbone set up with traditional damper settings, or Audi’s new magnetic ride system – a system that has already proved its worth on the new Audi TT. The magnetic ride constantly monitors the road, and your driving style, constantly adjusting to achieve the best ride and handling combination. Whilst the standard suspension system is very good, especially for the purist, the magnetic ride option really does the job and is worth the additional £1,350 you’ll have to pay.
Stopping Power
A car with this kind of performance needs exceptional stopping power. The R8 comes with massive steel discs powered by no less than eight pistons up front and six at the back. And they more than do the job, but if you’ve got an extra £5,000, opt for the carbon ceramic brakes – with these you can drive at high speed all day, applying race-car style braking, yet maintain maximum efficiency and no fade; highly recommended for the hard core track day driver. For the rest of us, the ‘standard’ brakes do the job perfectly. What’s more, some drivers don’t like the instant ‘on’ ‘off’ feel you get from ceramics, or the brake feel when cold, so make your choice carefully. Five grand is five grand.
On the road
Driving the car. Now here is a true sense of occasion. The second you reach for the door handle you are stepping into something very special; every time. The quality of finish inside the car is first rate, regardless of price. The whole experience is the reason you will spend circa £80,000 on what is clearly Audi’s Jewel in the Crown.
The cockpit is surprisingly roomy, and there’s exceptional all round vision for a car of this kind. On ‘take off’ there’s plenty of power low down, but the R8 likes to work up the revs, and by the time you’re holding third and fourth, the car is well into its stride. And you’re smiling. The four wheel drive set up is reassuring, confidence inspiring and safe, complementing a beautifully balanced chassis and razor sharp steering; it all blends together so well, and you just know that you’ll really have to be going some to tease any wayward behaviour from the car. That’s reassuring for a car with this level of ability.
You need to be brave enough too, for pace is the R8’s forte. This car can easily outperform the driver – it’s up to you to earn its respect. Curiously, this is a point often made when referring to the driving characteristics of a 911. Can that be total coincidence? I doubt it. Audi studies Porsche, and Porsche studies Audi. The difference is that the Audi is a mid-engined car, so your driving style has to take account of the mid-engined contender being better seated and less ragged when punted hard through a fast snaking combination of left and right handers – that’s when you’ll find many a 911 wagging its tale trying to keep that engine in line with the directional momentum of the car, while the R8 puts it lower centre of gravity to advantage. It’s all about weight transfer, where the engine sits, and you.
With the R8, the two stage traction control disconnection switch gives you the option of experimenting with your own car control abilities, or leaving it up to the car–one switch for partial disengagement, and a three second press to totally disengage. Check your driving skills first, but the R8 won’t unsettle you, it’ll just behave differently, like it has a mind all of its own.
Most will simply enjoy the endless, confident, linear, yet unrelenting, progress this car makes in a straight line; the second and third gear overtaking ability simply adds to the pleasure, and not least the sound the R8 makes when you do it. High, but safe cornering limits allow you to progress smoothly and safely, and at much higher average speeds around bends than most cars are remotely capable of.
The icing on the cake is the R8’s ability to turn from road car to racer at the slightest hint, and if high speed driving is your thing, then you’ll be taking part in many a track day simply to be able to use your new Audi R8. Properly.
The car’s the Star
Either way, wherever you go and whatever you do, as an Audi R8 driver you will be a star. If you don’t want to be admired and waved at –look elsewhere. In town this car is a total show stopper. In the country it is fast, poetic, and pure visual drama. On the motorway it is ‘cool’, so don’t forget your shades. Tucked away in your garage it is wasted, yet an object of beauty to be admired. Emotion aside, being an Audi, you can expect it to be relatively trouble free and reliable. Yes, so now there is a genuine alternative to the icons we have known, and it is the Audi R8. Welcome ‘home’ Audi R8, your slippers are by the fire.
Kevin Haggarthy
Oct 2007.
Audi R8
Price: £76,725
Engine 4163 V8 32v
Power: 414 bhp `
0-62 -4.6 seconds
Top Speed 187 mph
Average Consumption 19.3 mpg
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