Audi R8 V10 Plus Track Test - Sports Cars

It seems to me yesterday when Audi unveiled the R8, a mid-engined supercar powered by a V8 engine RS4 and with a skeleton Lamborghini Gallardo... It looked promising to start with, and the 27.000 copies of the first generation sold confirmed the product's success.

The R8 has matured, lost some of the vibe of the iRobot concept car, and turned into a big TT - with all the good and bad. I was a big fan of the carbon fiber sideline that cut the car in half, it was a very nice feature indeed. But that's my personal opinion.

Goodbye V8: two versions, both V10

New Audi R8 debuts with much more powerful engines: no naturally aspirated V8 (or turbocharged), just a big 5.2 hp. 10 V540 or 610 HP in the Plus version Sun at my favorite Italian circuit, Imola. I already mentioned this last week when testing the entire Audi RS line, but this car deserves a closer look. The most powerful of the R8 accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 3,2 seconds and reaches 330 km / h - numbers that now seem "normal" for modern supercars. But let's move on. At a price of 195.00 eurosAudi R8Plus gets into very dangerous territory. Not only is it in the neighborhood Ferrari 488 e Porsche GT3 RSbut also deals with its Italian sister equipped with the same 610 hp engine. To install Lamborghini Huracan.

Without a doubt, the Audi is a beautiful sight, but when those numbers are spent, the Lamborghini becomes more enticing due to its stage presence and pedigree. Audi wins in versatility: not that it's as practical as a station wagon, but it's still (slightly) more reserved than the Huracan. Do not you agree?

On board the R8

You feel at ease getting on board. There has been a noticeable qualitative leap over the previous model, and everywhere you look. R8 gives you truly delightful details. The number of keys initially gives you a headache, but after switching to the "German" perspective, everything becomes clear. The steering wheel is somewhat similar to the configuration of a Ferrari, which is not bad.

I mean, it's really handy. This is not the first thing we expect from a car of this type, but it is not even a bad surprise, and the idea of ​​using it every day would not mind at all (I would love to see). Like all new Audianalog gauges disappear, replaced by a customizable high-resolution screen that serves as a navigator, tachometer and many other nice things. The manual transmission is also disappearing, the R8 is now only available with the (excellent) R-Tronic.

Circles on the track

In the meantime, I left the pit lane, made a second stop and turned to the whole breath of the V10. Sadly, the track always kills the feeling of straight line speed, but the 10rpm V9.000 thrust on my neck tells me we're going hard. It's not as fast and vicious as V8 Ferrari on the rise, but constant and saturated to the red line. Maybe too persistent. The melody is usual yes V10 Lambo-Audi: sweet and flashy, with explosions and muttering on release; it's always a good feeling.

Imola is a great track to test the car, offering a wide variety of corners and enough direction changes to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the chassis. The new R8 destroys all curves in a phenomenal way. The previous generation R8 had a heavy rear end and lifted up out of corners as if it were a Porsche 911.

It is a new R8 iInstead, it feels small, lightweight, and perfectly balanced. You can give the gas very quickly and it will follow the given trajectory as if it were on the rails. If you ride clean and smooth on the controls, the R8 will prove to be really lightweight. You can also twist too much if you like, and she will happily do so. The R-Tronic transmission is lightning fast. I know they are talking about a lot of changes, but they really are: instantly up and down, quickly and smoothly in each mode. THE carbon ceramic brakes they are capable of recording large fragments of speed, and the pedal is precisely measurable and stable. Even on the Imola circuit, where the brakes cry for mercy, the R8 hasn't given up.

Then

It may not be the wildest and wildest of supercars, but it's hard for me to imagine a better car that can tackle off-road terrain without fear of being killed. This is a car that really goes fast both on the highway and off-road, and inspires confidence even at the limit; at the same time, it is also a suitable vehicle for shopping. Not bad for a big TT ...