Reviews 4 Cars

Audi have created their first mid-engine Super Car inspired from the Le Mans R8 race car. The domination of the Le Mans for Audi meant engaging in one powerful development to another, resulting in the creation of a road version. Pictures and specifications are truly admirable, however there’s only one way to find out just how good this car is, drive one. 

Style
 

 

Exterior
Audi are have nailed the word desire right on the head. I couldn’t help but notice the Carbon fibre side blades which split R8 into two, on the front LED headlamps ghastly frown, while on the rear, squares float in the lights and four colossal pipes exit from the bumper. There’s also an option to illuminate the engine compartment.

Today’s Super Cars characterise abnormal lines and shapes, its clear the R8 is no exception, the Coupe shape where perfect sleek lines, grooves and shapes have been applied to create a masterpiece.

The R8 unquestionably wins a place on my poster wall.

 

Interior
In Super Cars you would expect to find interiors deprived of the essentials, aiming to save weight for the performance.

Predictably, Audi haven’t disappointed; luxuries provide an elegant theme, carbon fibre and steel trim provide a racy sense, and leather is found on seats along with door sills to maintain a premium look.
 

Comfort & Practicality
 

Comfort
Sacrifice is a sin, as all the expected lavish comforts have been Integrated. The interior flows with the exterior, in front you are faced with all of today’s toys including air-conditioning and remote central locking, while gazing in the rear-view mirror a V8 engine shows-off its engine cast. 

For only £80,000 it would have been charitable for Audi to include extras such as:

- Semi-automatic gearbox - £5200,
- Satellite-navigation - £1800,
- Magnetic ride with adaptive suspension - £1350,
- Electric seats - £830

The R8 I tested featured all but the Semi-automatic gearbox, therefore I can provide you with a taste for most of the extras.

Many high quality controls are recognisable from other Audi models such as the RS4. The supportive sports seats hold you in, whilst the aluminium detailing and bottom-chopped steering wheel stress the spottiness.

The cockpit looks orderly as Audi have introduced a 6.5″ colour TFT Multi Media Interface system into the R8 for an intuitive all in one solution for entertainment, communications and vehicle control. A premium sound system by Bang & Olufsen is an option specifically for the Audi R8 by the Danish hi-fi boffins which features; dynamic compensation for road noise, a digital amplifier, 12 speakers and a total output of 465 watts.

Practicality
The R8 blends performance with luxury to provide everyday practicality, a convincing reason to ditch my present car. The R8 sits low to the ground yet mysteriously offers ample room to manoeuvre. To demonstrate practicality, Audi have left enough room for a set of golf clubs behind the seats and provided a front boot.

 Performance & Handling

Performance
The R8 runs from the same soul you would find in the RS4 with one big difference, the R8 engine has been developed with Dry sump lubrication, rather then a big sum of oil at the base of the engine a separate pool is utilised resulting in the engine being mounted lower, improving the centre of gravity.

The R8 being a curb weight of 120 kgs lighter then the RS4 decreases the 0-60 mph time to 4.0 seconds and increases the top speed to an Audi all-time high of 187mph. To outlay the 430Nm of torque Audi provide the option of a 6-speed manual transmission, or for £5200 exceptionally fast gear changes then the race-inspired R tronic sequential shift gearbox with joystick and paddle control.

Today’s Super Cars are light years ahead in aerodynamics, which Audi haven’t forgotten. The R8 is Audi’s first car to feature a diffuser to provide down force as the Rear spoiler also retracts typically between 60-70mph when the vehicle needs additional composure to ensure the R8 glues to the road.

The thirsty R8 4.2 Semi-automatic gearbox achieves 20.7 mpg while the Manual achieves 19.3 mpg combined. A Diesel version should also be arriving to the market for the fuel conscious drivers.

Handling
As Audi own Lamborghini, 15% of the R8 is shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo, including the transmission and chassis. The R8 is built with a light weight and ridged single space frame constructed from aluminium with magnesium components resulting in better performance, agility and handling on the road.

The R8’s standard suspension is impressive through town and on the track, however Audi have decided to go a step further to engineer Audi Magnetic Ride which is an optional extra. Audi Magnetic Ride is an adaptive suspension system with selectable modes; Normal and Sport. The Audi Magnetic Ride system monitors the road conditions adjusting the damping effect by varying a magnetic charge that passes through a fluid-based shock absorber, improving road handling, chassis control and driving comfort.

The roaring V8 with 414 BHP engine tames itself by directing power to all four wheels as 44 front : 56 rear, the result, a phenomenal drive with an expected controllable tendency to wagon tail. The Electronic Stability Program 8.0 has been configured in three modes offering high driving safety and vehicle stability to rectify under-steer to provide a real race car feel when you nose into a corner.

Safety & Reliability

Safety
All this joy arrives with remarkable safety. In the event of a crash, front and side airbags are at hand, while belt tensioners promptly bring the belt much closer reducing the risk of injuries, and for whiplash injury thanks to active head restraints which automatically deploy forwards to cushion backward momentum of the head in a rear collision. Audi have fitted the R8 with 8-piston callipers on the front and 4-piston callipers on the rear to give the R8 the ultimate stopping power.

Reliability
The R8 is solid car bolted together and theirs no reason why the R8 should have no more problems than any other Audi models. When running a prestige vehicle such as the R8 it is essential to ensure services are conducted according to schedule maintaining the engines peak performance, also at the time of selling vehicles with full service history sell like hot cakes.

Costs
 

Running Cost
Running a Super Car has never been cheap, but buyers will probably be well off enough not to worry too much about price.

Miles per Gallon: 19.3 mpg
Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles a year: £2,459
Road tax for 12 months: £400
Insurance Group: 20
Servicing: Two years/19,000 miles
Warranty - Three years/60,000 miles

Depreciation
Below a vague depreciation guide based on 10,000 miles per annum.

Cost New	£78,195
Year 1	£64,370
Year 2	£56,744
Year 3	£48,490
Year 4	£42,321

 

 

 

 

 

As you would expect from Audi, the residuals for the R8 prove to be strong.

Buying & Selling Used

Attached with the R8 is a waiting list slowly shrinking, however to avoid waiting you could ring a number of Main Dealers to enquire for stock, in which case the spec may not be customisable. First deliveries began in the UK in mid-2007, new orders would not be fulfilled until 2009.

If you’re looking for a used R8 it shouldn’t be too difficult, but for an inflated price as 750 Audi R8s a year have been set for the UK getting snapped up by traders. The most desirable R8’s will have £10,000+ worth of extras, so expert to pay premium prices.

Verdict

Love – Exhilarating Engine, Elegant, Easy to Drive

Hate - Rear visibility

If Audi are to continue down the path of the R8, they are set to be untouchable. Audi have engineered the R8 to perfection, the desired exterior, luxurious interior and Super Car performance make the R8 a practical everyday Super Car. The R8 has broken the Super Car boundaries and open new doors for the automotive sector achieving what no other manufacturer has achieved, ‘an all-round Super Car’ where no sacrifice is made. There’s no doubt this is only the beginning as a 6.0 litre TDI R8 is still to come.

The base price of the R8 is around £80,000, but once you add all the extras you will be looking to pay near £100,000. This is engineering excellence at its best from Audi, worth every penny.

 

Rivals:

- Porsche 911 Coupe - One of the most developed sports cars ever.
- Aston Martin Vantage - The full Performance Prestige Package.
- Nissan Skyline GT-R - Super Car Performance for a Fraction of the Price.