Audi R8. Price: ?142,812. On sale: since summer 2007.
Audi has its own hot versions in every lineup — RS4, RS6, S8. But now a completely new, unique and memorable urban supercar called the R8 has appeared.
2008 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
2008 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
Among the huge SUVs in the parking lot, this car is easy to miss — its height is only 1252 mm. But it is simply impossible to walk past it. Narrow, squinting headlights with a bright LED strip literally pierce passersby with their gaze. The huge radiator grille almost touches the asphalt, creating the impression that the car is pressed to the ground. From the rear, the car looks somewhat unusual if compared to ordinary sedans or hatchbacks. But it doesn't have to be ordinary. With such a modest height, the body is distinguished by an impressive width — 1904 mm. The picture is complemented by large wheels and widely spaced pipes of the dual exhaust system. On top there is an element that looks like a roof, but in fact it is the engine compartment cover. Under it, a powerful V8 engine, mounted in the center, is clearly discernible. Yes, the Audi R8 is a car with a mid-engine layout.
2008 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
The massive frameless door opens the way into the cabin. It immediately becomes clear that this is a car for an egoist. Why? In most mid-class cars, five people can easily fit. But here, with a body length of 4431 mm, only two seats are provided. At the back there is only a small shelf where you can put at most an umbrella. And behind it, behind thin glass, 420 horsepower await their hour.
2008 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
Behind the wheel you feel comfortable. A reasonable balance between sportiness and premium comfort has been found here. The sporty character is reminded by aluminum inserts, bucket seats and a center console slightly turned towards the driver. The steering wheel, flattened at the bottom, makes getting in easier — a classic attribute of racing cars.
But do not forget that the R8 is a "civilian" car. In urban conditions, you have to use all three turns of the steering wheel from lock to lock. Sometimes your hands slip off the plump rim. Premium class in the cabin is ensured by high-quality trim materials, pleasant-to-touch plastic and luxurious leather.
2008 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
In motion, the 6-speed robotic gearbox R-tronic shifts gears with surprising ease. The gearbox offers two main modes — manual and automatic. The operating program is so refined that in automatic mode the car responds faster to pressing the gas pedal. In manual control, you can shift either with the lever forward/backward or with paddle shifters.
Starting the engine is accompanied by the bassy voice of the V-shaped "eight" and slight vibrations penetrating the cabin. Press the gas — let's go. Wide wheels and a closely located engine do not contribute to acoustic comfort. Pedestrians and drivers of neighboring cars, even if they don't see it, will definitely hear it. The engine, quiet at idle, at maximum revs explodes with a wild, piercing roar, which sounds especially bright when releasing the gas.
At first, you need to be more careful with the gas pedal. Press a little harder — and your heart skips a beat, and so much adrenaline is released into the blood that your pulse does not return to normal for a long time. This is not surprising: acceleration to 100 km/h takes only 4.6 seconds, and the R8 reaches 200 km/h in 16 seconds. Fast? Very fast! At the same time, the thrust is colossal — it seems that there is no speed limit at all. But there is one. The maximum speed is limited by electronics to 301 km/h. Alas, we could not check this at the Dmitrov test site — the length of special roads was not enough. But we overcame the mark of 297 km/h.
2008 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
With increasing speed, the steering wheel becomes heavier, and the suspension becomes stiffer. Every grain of sand and any defect in the road surface is felt. At the same time, even at enormous speed, the R8 adequately responds to all commands. The engineers seriously worked on aerodynamics. Up to the maximum certified speed, they promise almost complete absence of lift. This was achieved thanks to a small ground clearance, a perfectly flat bottom with a developed system of air ducts and an automatically extending spoiler. The car goes like on rails. Confirmation of this is the eighteen-meter slalom, completed by our testers in 10 seconds with an average speed of 70 km/h. And the long lane change according to the ISO standard, the car flew at 148 km/h! The R8 clings to the road like a spider. Only instead of hooks on the paws — lamellas of 18-inch tires. The front size is 235/40, the rear is 285/35.
At high speed, it seems that other cars on the road are simply standing still. The driver's task is only to calmly drive around these obstacles (not in front of the traffic police, so to speak). The R8 owes its stability during maneuvers to all-wheel drive and an almost ideal weight distribution of 50/50 along the axles. After acceleration, a reasonable question arises: how does this racing car stop? The braking distance from 100 km/h was 35 meters, and from 190 km/h — 130 meters. You can order ceramic brake discs, which have greater durability and efficiency.
If desired, you can get to the Black Sea on the R8 in about five hours. True, this requires a perfectly flat road, on which, moreover, there will be no traffic police officers with radars in honest hands. And since this is impossible, the trip will take a little longer. In any case, swimming accessories, a towel and a small suitcase with money for gasoline can be thrown into the small trunk located at the front of the car. Nothing else will fit there.
2008 Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro
© Photo: Sergey Krestov, 5 Koleso
Body
+ Design, preservation of Audi family traits
Ride comfort
+ Comfortable seating, good ergonomics
- Mediocre sound insulation
Powertrain
+ Excellent power indicators
+ Uniform thrust across the entire rev range
Handling
+ Maximum informativeness of steering, confidence of all-wheel drive
Safety
+ Developed power structure of the body and modern materials
Ecology
+ Acceptable fuel consumption for such a powerful engine
+ Compliance with toxicity standards