audiR8 motoring features Virgin Media
The Audi R8
Ten years ago, the world of buying a new car was an easy one.
Business man? Executive car.
Family man? Estate car.
Singleton? Sports car.
And that was pretty much that.
A decade on, buying a car is much more complicated. The business man now has a variety of expensive, inexpensive, large, luxury, compact, coupe, cabriolet, dual-fuel, 4-wheel-drive, 2-wheel-drive motors to trawl through before plumping for his preferred set of wheels. The family man has a never-ending list of hatchbacks, super hatchbacks, MPVs, mini-MPVs, compact MPVs, SUVs, 4x4s and super-saloons. And the singles amongst you, well, there's one for every budget. Manufacturers are to blame, or praise, and one of the most active is Audi.
In 1997, the German company produced ten models. Today, the latest offering - the R8 - will become part of Audi's 25 model line-up, but it can lay claim to being the company's first top-end sports car.
There's absolutely no need to pity the people in the frame for a £77,000 set of new wheels - the R8 is yet another tantalising temptation in an already mouth-watering arena.
It's a tough one though, as Audi has picked a fight with the big muscles of Porsche's 911 4S and Aston Martin's V8 Vantage. Price-wise, the 911 is surprisingly cheaper by £5,000, whereas the Aston will put more of a punch in the purse, costing £5,000 more. At certain angles the R8 looks like a squashed TT, but that's no bad thing in my book. The design department has done a grand job making a car that looks exquisite, but not as exotic as, say, a Lamborghini, which means it's as unlikely to be keyed in a supermarket car park, as it is likely to cause a stir outside The Ritz. A difficult trick to pull off.
It's a svelte piece of kit with ultra-slim headlights, air vents at the nose, sides and rear, and of course the speed-sensitive spoiler at the business end, which gives a nod to its 24-hour Le Mans genetics (Audi has been on the podium at Le Mans six times in seven years with its prototype R8 namesake).
Power comes from the manufacturer's mid-mounted 414bhp 4.2-litre V8 which ensures you reach 62mph in a road-zapping 4.6 seconds. Sat in the leather-clad seat, there are few cars to rival the R8's cabin - it's the Savile Row of interiors. A strict two-seater (though you can slot a golf bag behind them), there's nothing here that shouldn't be. The simple but oh-so stylish cockpit houses large dials, idiot-proof ventilation controls and one of the sexiest six-speed gearlevers you'll use.
It gives a satisfying metallic clank as it slots into each gear and it's an addictive manoeuvre. There's also a more expensive automatic option (£82,025) with pretty rapid-response steering-wheel-mounted flaps, but the manual is definitely king here. It is a sports car after all.
Head for a challenging country road, select second or third gear, turn the stereo off and your senses on. The steering wheel doesn't suffer any slack as it sends commands to the 19-inch tyres, giving your arms a decent workout over the shortest of journeys.
" Plant the throttle as you exit a bend and the rush of power, and then speed, is intoxicating "
Plant the throttle as you exit a bend and the rush of power, and then speed, is intoxicating. Find a tunnel, open both windows, and you've got a cracking sound track to accompany you.
The quattro permanent four-wheel-drive system gives the car so much grip and poise that it will flatter the talents of most drivers, but for those with mischief on their minds the traction control system can be mercifully switched off, turning the R8 into a tail-slider.
There are two suspension settings to suit your mood - firm for fast or comfort for everything else - activated by a tiny button that you'll come to worship during every day use.
The R8 is a fresh-faced, grown-up sports car that does everything its rivals do. One final thing it has to do though, is deliver the knock-out punch to the kudos of the much-loved Aston and highly-acclaimed Porsche.
But Audi has definitely got a hit on its hands because if you want one of the 750 UK cars available each year, there's already a queue to join.
Butler-Henderson on the BMW X5
1st May, 2007
