#01#I was worried before I drove the R8. Sure, Audi's proposed 911-beater had looked impressive enough at its
Paris Motor Show unveil. Its technical specs looked interesting too, but the last press release I read before flying to Las Vegas to drive it was about the new LED headlamps and the optional engine lighting kit; nothing about the mid-engined layout - the only car in the class to put its engine behind the passenger compartment - nor the Audi ASF (Aluminium Space Frame) construction, or indeed, the quattro four-wheel-drive. Either those lights are very, very special, or Audi had something to hide.
Certainly those slim (but bright) lights have allowed styling that has split opinion. The R8 represents a bit of a diversion from Audi's usually restrained designs. The frontal styling is unusually aggressive, while the bold contrasting colour or carbon-fibre 'sideblade' on its flanks and the wide, vented rump also make for an altogether more menacing Audi. But one that, particularly in profile, is still clearly related to
the TT and Audi's saloon car offerings. On the show stand in Paris it looked a touch awkward. However, I've learned through various cars, like the Merc CLS,
BMW Z4 and numerous others to reserve comments on styling until you see a car in its natural habitat.
And under the Nevada sun, the R8 looks sensational. Far more interesting to look at than a Porsche 911 or Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the R8 has the exotic look of supercars costing as much again as its £75,000 sticker price. That's hugely important in this image-conscious market, but its cachet would inevitably fade if they were to be built in the same sort of numbers as other Audis. Remember the TT wowing then seemingly being everywhere? That won't happen with the R8, as Audi will only build around 3,000 - largely by hand - each year at its Neckarsulm plant.
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Unsurprisingly, when I'm given the chance I grab the keys and forgetting to check out those lights (or the engine bay illuminations) I get in. There's no fussy starter button antics, just insert the key and turn. Behind me the 4.2-litre V8 starts. It's the same engine that's won huge praise in
the RS4. Its 414bhp output is the same, the only difference being a dry sump to improve lubrication at high 'G' cornering forces and to reduce its centre of gravity in the car. Its V8 woofle remains much the same; deep and purposeful at idle, rising in tempo and becoming more melodic when the revs rise. It dominates the cabin, as it should, the eerie absence of wind or road noise allowing you to enjoy the V8's soundtrack all the better.
It's pretty spacious in the Audi R8 by sports car standards, but get yourself a locker at the club for your golf clubs; Audi's claim that you'll get two sets of sticks behind the driver and passenger is wishful thinking. The front boot's not huge either, but really, if that's among your concerns buy yourself an RS4 Avant. The interior is beautifully finished, the white on black instrumentation is very clear and everything is as perfectly positioned as you'd expect from Audi.
Forget about the interior though; this is a 414bhp car, and one that's got some fairly lofty ambitions to topple the mighty 911 from its dominant sales perch. Certainly the ingredients are there; the R8's 414bhp V8 outguns its rivals in the power stakes, its 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds bettering the 911 C4S, Aston V8 Vantage and Maserati GranSport. Its 187mph top speed is also an improvement over the 180mph of the Carrera 4S - Audi choosing not to limit the v-max on its flagship sportscar.
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Raw performance figures are worth nothing though if they're not backed up with real depth of ability. It's here where the R8 impresses. However, three options will ultimately define your R8 driving experience. These consist of your choice of the conventional six-speed manual or R tronic two-pedal paddle-shift system, ceramic or steel brakes and standard gas dampers or trick magnetic ones. Forget the expensive R tronic - the Lamborghini-derived system is simply too slow and clumsy in comparison to the beautifully slick mechanical action of the open-gated manual six-speeder.
Unless you're a track obsessive and spend your weekends driving your R8 around the Nurburgring then the standard steel brakes will also do. There's plenty of bite with the steel discs, even if the pedal needs a firmer shove than you might first expect. If you tick only one option then make sure it's the one for the magnetic dampers. Only Audi's own TT and
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano currently offer similar systems to UK drivers and like them, when so specified the R8 provides a quite spectacular ability to smooth out road imperfections while retaining supreme body control.
It's easy to carry a great deal of speed comfortably in the Audi R8. The ride and refinement help, but the snick-snacking action and brilliant Ferrari-esque click-clacking sound from the gearbox's open gate goads you to work that melodious V8 hard. Soon you'll find yourself travelling very quickly, err, very quickly. Fast as it is it doesn't feel as searingly rapid as the numbers suggest; the torque-rich delivery of the V8 meaning a constant, rich spread of appreciable thrust rather than the more explosive delivery of some of its rivals.
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Corners are taken with no perceptible body roll, the steering accurate and, due to Audi's admirable decision to not fit a variable ratio system, nicely linear. Sadly it's not loaded with feel at the chunky wheel-rim, though there's enough there to feel the R8's initial and mild tendency to understeer. Keep the power down and the R8 settles into a more neutral stance, and despite its quattro four-wheel-drive it actually feels rear-driven only. Even when the various diffs divvy up the delivery between its axles there's none of the obvious shift in drive and slight corruption of steering that you'll get in a 911 C4.
Switch off the ESP and ASR and the R8 can easily be coaxed into playful power oversteer, this mid-engined, four-wheel-drive sports car proving that Audi has what it takes to make a genuinely entertaining driver's car. That in itself is admirable, particularly as Audi could so easily have sold this car on its styling alone. But what's more impressive is that it's so close to the benchmark Porsche 911. Oh, and the engine bay lighting is actually a nice touch, too...
2007 Audi R8 UK range overview
- Audi R8 4.2 quattro manual: £76,725
- Audi R8 4.2 quattro R tronic: £81,925
