CoverCars - Car Reviews | News | Pictures

DEATH BY DYNASTY

It’s no secret that Audi is gunning for all the other German premium brands and in the race for supremacy what better car to front its cavalry than the R8!

Just in case anyone was in doubt of Audi’s bloodline, let it be known that its offerings have a better flogging value than Cambodian babies at present with sales up by 17% in the first quarter of 2007. By 2010 they hope to have the monopoly over the German premium sector and the long awaited Audi R8 is its prize spawn. Off the back of its sixth win in Le Mans just recently this exquisite piece of metal needs little to prove it’s a serious racer. Hailing a top speed of 187mph from its 4.2litre V8 engine is a scary enough thought when not swathed in fireproof overalls and a snug fitting helmet. Couple this with 420bhp searing at 7,800rpm right behind your head and innocence will be another long lost friend. You may have meant to have saved that 80K for the extension on the house, your kid’s university funds and the iminent tax bill but letting you near incredibly fast cars is like giving Tony Blair the role of Middle East envoy – prepare for the fireworks!

Much like the outgoing Prime Minister, leaving office without the latest wheels would be a serious dent to your mojo, you’d be lost without the status that surrounds you. The same goes for owning the same car for more than three years; that would be an insult to Fifteen years of over time and endless hours stuck at airports. No, if there’s any fun to be had at your age (post marriage and mortgage) it’s that of a hand built Mid-engined sportscar with daring slashes to its aluminium attire and Quattro Fourwheel drive to keep your feet firmly on the ground. Once you’ve seen it in the metal you’ll understand that this motor is not just beautiful, it’s magnetic – there’s a real presence about it, a dark kind of pleasure that gets underneath your skin.
Driving it by no means shatters this illusion; it’s very much an Audi but a puissant one at that and whether you’re idling through city traffic or hurtling around a race track it is perfectly well adjusted. You can even get a return of 20mpg if you ration your acceleration as prudently as you ration your socks when its your turn to put a wash on. Of course it’s more fun to embrace an open stretch of road with your foot to the floor, the R8 will easily quantum leap you from zero to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. Keep your foot prised to the gas and its rally-derived 4×4 system will keep you anchored to the tarmac. In sensible mode the torque split favours the rear with a 65% bias but when threatened by particularly harsh conditions it will send the full 100% out back. At high speeds there’s also back up from a powered spoiler so try as you might, you aren’t going to take off.

Despite the velocity of air smacking at its sides, the noise insulation of the R8 is impressive. Shifting up or down with that beautifully crafted manual gearbox is also a pleasurable experience, due to its Teflon non-stick lining. There’s also a paddleshift option which is modelled on its Motorsport equivalent and a Sport button to stiffen the suspension. The Automatic version is essentially pinched from the Lamborghini Gallardo and re-named R-tronic but though it should be dazzling it really isn’t a patch on the manual in our opinion.
As far as safety and security goes, the R8 offers a comprehensive package as well as mighty brakes. Plenty of care and luxury has gone in to the interior design too; it’s both distinctive and functional. The space between the driver and passenger seats is also pretty handy and there’s more room under the bonnet for fleeting weekend visits to the country.

Sadly, a trip to the Audi dealership may also be a fleeting affair as all 450 of the R8’s shipped to the UK this Summer have already been accounted for. In fact the 1,500 that will be delivered over the next two years also have homes to go to. So while the market may look pretty fierce with the Porsche 911 Carrera, Jag XKR and Aston Martin V8 Vantage all squaring up to it, the R8 has exclusivity in its favour because you`ll be begging to own one.

With Super car etched on its belt, that`s another sector penetrated by Audi then and another rung up the Germanic food chain, not long until it assumes its born supremacy.

Verdict

FOR: A momentous chunk of Le Mans magic and all the luxury you will ever need; for the next three years at least.
AGAINST: The gruff automatic gearbox doesn’t fit the sleek appeal of the R8, good job there is a very direct manual
CONCLUSION: Well it’s not quite as dramatic looking as the concept launched in 2003 but it is just as beautiful in a rather demonic way. The chilling pitch of its engine is as highly tuned as its handling and the interior quality is every bit the sports car. So it won’t knock 911’s down to size but it needn’t have to, anticipation for the model has held strong and now the order books are snapped shut.

Spec

ENGINE: 4.2litre V8
Co2 (g/km)/tax: 349g/km
POWER: 420bhp @ 7,800rpm
TORQUE (lb/ft): 317lb ft @4500-6000rpm
0-62mph (sec): 4.6
TOP SPEED: 187mph
MPG: /-/-19.3mpg (urban/extra-urban/combined)
TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive
WEIGHT: 1560kg
PRICE: £70,000
RIVALS: Porsche 911 Carrera S, Jag XKR and Aston Martin V8 Vantage