john
2009-10-27 04:29:29 UTC
http://wardsauto.com/testdrive/audi_r8_perfect_091015/
By Tom Murphy
WardsAuto.com, Oct 15, 2009 8:00 AM
It becomes apparent that a weekend in an Audi R8 with the new 525-hp
V-10 will be like no other when I drive past a banquet hall in the
tony Detroit suburb of Birmingham and a valet dashes off the curb into
traffic to shoot pictures of this red rocket.
The rest of the weekend goes the same way.
A grandmother stopped at a traffic light asks excitedly about the car,
then exudes, “It’s beautiful!”
A businessman in a BMW 745i sharing the northbound lanes of Woodward
Avenue with the R8 can’t take his eyes off it. A slack-jawed man and
woman – in a Porsche Boxster, no less – stop in the middle of the
street to inquire about the car.
People react to the R8 as if it were John Lennon’s paisley Rolls
Royce, only way, way cooler.
Auto makers wish every vehicle they produce could generate such
excitement.
Of course, they can’t, because acclaim of this nature must be
disbursed in small doses, like the atomized fuel sprayed under 1,740
psi (120 bar) directly into each of this Herculean 5.2L engine’s 10
cylinders.
All of the admirers are consumed by what they see – from the flowing
LED headlamps to the illuminated see-through engine bay. But none
actually ride in the car.
Audi R8 sales are up this year, bucking downward luxury trend.
If they had, the debt crisis could start all over again, as people who
can’t afford this $164,000 dream might work any deal imaginable for a
chance at ownership.
Audi launched the R8 in 2007 and sold 241 units in the U.S. the first
year and 900 in 2008, according to Ward’s data. The V-10 arrived in
Europe this past spring and in the U.S. in July.
Despite an awful economy that has punished sales of every Porsche,
BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lexus (except RX 350), Cadillac, Acura and
Infiniti nameplate, deliveries of the R8 are up 4.8% this year,
compared with the first nine months of 2008.
As expected, the V-10 is driving the bulk of R8 sales this year,
although Audi expects long-term for the mix to stabilize with the V-8.
The hand-assembled, water-cooled, naturally aspirated V-10 was
developed in partnership with Audi’s quattro GmbH high-performance
division, so it’s infused with the auto maker’s racing heritage.
The V-10 is the same powerplant found in the R8 LMS GT3 racecar. Dry-
sump lubrication keeps all the moving parts well oiled, even at the
maximum lateral acceleration of 1.2 g.
With 391 lb.-ft. (530 Nm) of torque, the R8 V-10 can high-step its way
to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph
(316 km/h).
Direct injection minimizes knock and enables a high compression ratio
(12.5:1) that contributes to reasonable fuel economy, considering the
staggering thrust delivered.
And the engine is amazingly stable. To prove the point, a friend
balances a glass of water on the cylinder head at moderate throttle.
Barely a ripple.
Ward’s editors managed 14.8 mpg (15.8 L/100 km) after a week of
daydreaming about autobahn speeds in the R8. That was with the 6-speed
manual gearbox, which should achieve 15.8 mpg (14.9 L/100 km),
according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates.
Also available is an optional 6-speed “R tronic” automatic, and the
split between the two transmissions is about 50/50, Audi says.
The gated metal shifter with the manual provides the icing on this
German chocolate cake. Each gear change comes with a precise, Teutonic
metal-on-metal thud that alarms at first, then quickly becomes part of
the fun.
What makes the R8 V-10 such a thrill to drive is the standard quattro
permanent all-wheel drive, which works with the locking differential
on the rear axle to enhance traction, stability and cornering speed
while transmitting power smoothly to the pavement.
Combined with supreme chassis dynamics and a low center of gravity,
the powertrain makes for an enjoyable ride in casual driving without
feeling like a go-cart.
It inspires non-professional drivers to feel like Michael Schumacher
and allows them to bond with the car, rather than feeling intimidated.
Aiding and abetting the ride are hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering
and 19-in. 10-spoke alloys wrapped in sticky, high-performance low
aspect ratio tires wedged tightly into all four wells.
Words can’t do justice to the sound. This thundering powerplant revs
to its 8,700-rpm redline and does so inches from the driver’s ears.
Yet all the driver hears is pure music – a harmonic convergence of
growling bass and angelic highs.
The V-8 sounds pretty good in the R8. But adding two more singers is
like striking up the Hallelujah chorus.
Besides the lack of storage, there is only one negative cited by the
Ward’s editorial team: having to drive the R8 at speeds under 120 mph.
(193 km/h).
Penny-pinchers will find objectionable items on the sticker, including
the $3,000 gas-guzzler tax, $1,300 black alcantara headliner and
$3,500 enhanced leather package.
And the car is dripping in carbon fiber, which jacks up the price
another $8,400. Carbon fiber lines the engine bay, an option priced at
$3,600.
Some things in life are worth a boatload of debt.
Just ask the guy in the white Chevrolet Suburban who pulls up to the
R8 in a parking lot, stops abruptly, hangs out his window and screams
at the top of his lungs, “THAT’S ONE SWEET F*%#ING CAR!”
Without missing a beat, my gearhead nephew, who dreams of owning the
Audi supercar someday, hollers back, “I know! I just bought it!”
By Tom Murphy
WardsAuto.com, Oct 15, 2009 8:00 AM
It becomes apparent that a weekend in an Audi R8 with the new 525-hp
V-10 will be like no other when I drive past a banquet hall in the
tony Detroit suburb of Birmingham and a valet dashes off the curb into
traffic to shoot pictures of this red rocket.
The rest of the weekend goes the same way.
A grandmother stopped at a traffic light asks excitedly about the car,
then exudes, “It’s beautiful!”
A businessman in a BMW 745i sharing the northbound lanes of Woodward
Avenue with the R8 can’t take his eyes off it. A slack-jawed man and
woman – in a Porsche Boxster, no less – stop in the middle of the
street to inquire about the car.
People react to the R8 as if it were John Lennon’s paisley Rolls
Royce, only way, way cooler.
Auto makers wish every vehicle they produce could generate such
excitement.
Of course, they can’t, because acclaim of this nature must be
disbursed in small doses, like the atomized fuel sprayed under 1,740
psi (120 bar) directly into each of this Herculean 5.2L engine’s 10
cylinders.
All of the admirers are consumed by what they see – from the flowing
LED headlamps to the illuminated see-through engine bay. But none
actually ride in the car.
Audi R8 sales are up this year, bucking downward luxury trend.
If they had, the debt crisis could start all over again, as people who
can’t afford this $164,000 dream might work any deal imaginable for a
chance at ownership.
Audi launched the R8 in 2007 and sold 241 units in the U.S. the first
year and 900 in 2008, according to Ward’s data. The V-10 arrived in
Europe this past spring and in the U.S. in July.
Despite an awful economy that has punished sales of every Porsche,
BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Lexus (except RX 350), Cadillac, Acura and
Infiniti nameplate, deliveries of the R8 are up 4.8% this year,
compared with the first nine months of 2008.
As expected, the V-10 is driving the bulk of R8 sales this year,
although Audi expects long-term for the mix to stabilize with the V-8.
The hand-assembled, water-cooled, naturally aspirated V-10 was
developed in partnership with Audi’s quattro GmbH high-performance
division, so it’s infused with the auto maker’s racing heritage.
The V-10 is the same powerplant found in the R8 LMS GT3 racecar. Dry-
sump lubrication keeps all the moving parts well oiled, even at the
maximum lateral acceleration of 1.2 g.
With 391 lb.-ft. (530 Nm) of torque, the R8 V-10 can high-step its way
to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph
(316 km/h).
Direct injection minimizes knock and enables a high compression ratio
(12.5:1) that contributes to reasonable fuel economy, considering the
staggering thrust delivered.
And the engine is amazingly stable. To prove the point, a friend
balances a glass of water on the cylinder head at moderate throttle.
Barely a ripple.
Ward’s editors managed 14.8 mpg (15.8 L/100 km) after a week of
daydreaming about autobahn speeds in the R8. That was with the 6-speed
manual gearbox, which should achieve 15.8 mpg (14.9 L/100 km),
according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates.
Also available is an optional 6-speed “R tronic” automatic, and the
split between the two transmissions is about 50/50, Audi says.
The gated metal shifter with the manual provides the icing on this
German chocolate cake. Each gear change comes with a precise, Teutonic
metal-on-metal thud that alarms at first, then quickly becomes part of
the fun.
What makes the R8 V-10 such a thrill to drive is the standard quattro
permanent all-wheel drive, which works with the locking differential
on the rear axle to enhance traction, stability and cornering speed
while transmitting power smoothly to the pavement.
Combined with supreme chassis dynamics and a low center of gravity,
the powertrain makes for an enjoyable ride in casual driving without
feeling like a go-cart.
It inspires non-professional drivers to feel like Michael Schumacher
and allows them to bond with the car, rather than feeling intimidated.
Aiding and abetting the ride are hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering
and 19-in. 10-spoke alloys wrapped in sticky, high-performance low
aspect ratio tires wedged tightly into all four wells.
Words can’t do justice to the sound. This thundering powerplant revs
to its 8,700-rpm redline and does so inches from the driver’s ears.
Yet all the driver hears is pure music – a harmonic convergence of
growling bass and angelic highs.
The V-8 sounds pretty good in the R8. But adding two more singers is
like striking up the Hallelujah chorus.
Besides the lack of storage, there is only one negative cited by the
Ward’s editorial team: having to drive the R8 at speeds under 120 mph.
(193 km/h).
Penny-pinchers will find objectionable items on the sticker, including
the $3,000 gas-guzzler tax, $1,300 black alcantara headliner and
$3,500 enhanced leather package.
And the car is dripping in carbon fiber, which jacks up the price
another $8,400. Carbon fiber lines the engine bay, an option priced at
$3,600.
Some things in life are worth a boatload of debt.
Just ask the guy in the white Chevrolet Suburban who pulls up to the
R8 in a parking lot, stops abruptly, hangs out his window and screams
at the top of his lungs, “THAT’S ONE SWEET F*%#ING CAR!”
Without missing a beat, my gearhead nephew, who dreams of owning the
Audi supercar someday, hollers back, “I know! I just bought it!”