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It makes sense Audi would finally capitalize on its most recent
decade of motorsport success, not to mention the years previous
when it conquered the rally circuit, proving so successful
in touring car with its quattro all-wheel drive that it was eventually
banned. The new R8-named appropriately after Audi's
recently retired sports car prototype that dominated Le Mans,
Sebring and almost every other racetrack around the world-
is set to take on the lower end of the exotic spectrum. That
means it will be fighting it out with Porsche's 911, Aston
Martin's V8 Vantage, Maserati's upcoming GranTurismo and,
no doubt, an entirely new crop of competitors who will copycat
Audi onto the supercar stage.
If one of Audi's classic rivals does manage to bring a true
competitor to market, they'll have to come up with something
miraculous to beat the R8's styling, because it looks
absolutely divine. Somehow Ingolstadt managed to make a
coupe that is shorter than a 911 look ultimately sleek. Its
massive, menacing grille appears capable of scooping up
pesky poodles by the mouthful, while its scowling slit-like
LED headlamps are intimidating in the rear view.
As the R8 sprints past, those overtaken will no doubt
notice an odd, yet intriguing, design feature. A set of bizarre
panels-Audi calls them side blades-can be ordered in
body color, contrasting colors, an aluminum-look finish or
carbon fiber; they remind me a bit of a smart car's
exoskeleton. The "blades" are especially attractive
in the latter of the four combinations, most notably
when contrasted by a lighter color; white being a
personal favorite. Adding carbon-fiber interior
accents and engine bay trim only enhances the
package.
From the rear, a set of taillights contrasts the
overall design by looking almost conventional.
In contrast, the straked Testarossa-like engine
exhaust vents aren't traditional Audi fare at all;
neither is the F430-like glass hatch that sheds light
on the R8's gorgeous engine. Comparisons to
Ferrari? Oh yes, and in more ways than just a few
design details.
Like the F430, the R8 uses a V-8 to make
power. Displacement is fairly close too, at 4.2 liters
compared to 4.3, although overall output is a bit
more subdued. This should be expected, mind you,
as the Audi is about half
the price of the prancing horse brand's "entrylevel"
model-nevertheless the end result is
impressive. Under glass is a direct-injection V-8,
making 420 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. It overshadows
its main competitor, Porsche's 911, by almost 100
horsepower and close to
45 lb-ft of torque.
Equally impressive is a Ferrari-like aluminum gate for
the six-speed manual, which was flawless once I got used to
it. Audi's R tronic (which is called S tronic in lesser cars
and was previously known under the acronym DSG) is one
of the quickest shifting sequential manual transmissions in
the business.
The renowned quattro all-wheel drive is also part of the
R8 package, although unlike the traditional quattro system
Audi found a viscous coupling setup worked best with the
new sports car, thanks to its ability to transfer torque from
front to back as needed, or at least that's the story and
they're sticking to it. When I pushed one of their product
people on the subject of packaging considerations, he agreed
that there were benefits in this regard, too.
Mix up these drivetrain components with a lightweight
aluminum space frame and skin, all combined equaling 460-
plus pounds of aluminum extrusions, castings and panels
held together by 325 feet of seam welds, 382 self-tapping
screws and 782 punch rivets, and you've got a car that's
about as technically advanced as anything on the planet.
Accordingly, Audi wasn't about to shrink away from this
fact by endowing the R8 with a wallflower interior.
This is Audi at its best, at least if you're a fan of purposeoriented
minimalism. A8 loyalists might be disappointed
there's nary a trace of glossy wood paneling to be found
anywhere. Instead there are rather muted shades of dark
gray and, in my test car, an interesting brown on the seat
leather. Don't worry Teutonic traditionalists, as black can be
had, too, plus a very "Miami Vice" Testarossa-like white on
white. Actually, through Audi's customization arm in
Ingolstadt, you can opt for just about any color combination
your personal taste (or lack thereof) desires.
A few styling cues from the new A6 sedan and Q7 SUV
spice things up nicely as well, the ovoid gauges first coming
to mind, and loads of aluminum trim pieces bring back fond
memories of the original TT. The nice, simple array of heating,
ventilation and air conditioning controls feature textured
aluminum for added grip. Just above the array, the 12-speaker,
465-watt audio system is made by Bang & Olufsen, a
Danish brand known as much for the modern design of its
components as for quality. And yes, it sounds fabulous.
All the same, my favorite aspect of the R8 interior is the
"monoposto" design of the cockpit, especially when constructed
of gleaming carbon fiber. Yes, it's real, and just like
with the twin side blades and engine detailing, the woven
composite ideally suits this car. Also to my liking, the seats
are well padded in all the right places, while the soft leather
combined with thick side bolsters create a grippy environ.
And my back and derriere appreciated the three-way seat
heaters for pumping out therapeutic levels of thermal conductivity-
ideal for the long haul.
The unorthodox flat-bottomed leather and aluminum covered
steering wheel looks positively chic, and lends a little
more room for those with thick, meaty legs. It also feels
great in the palms and is just the right thickness for shorter,
stubbier fingers, and when parked in front of the new Ritz-
Carlton somewhere outside of Vegas central, really made me
want to get out onto the road-and so I did.
For more on this article and much more grab a copy of Auto Aficionado Magazine on newsstands nationwide!
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