Audi R8 V10 plus Coupé First Drive Review

In today’s age of saving fuel, turbo charging, adding lithium ion batteries, downsizing and being kinder to the environment, this orange rocket you see on these pages comes as a relief and for me defines what a modern day supercar should be. Sure saving fuel and being kinder to the environment is important. But we are talking performance cars here, which are rare and saving the world should be left to smaller family cars with hybrid or electric technology. Hail the Audi R8, a car thanks to its stonking 5.2 litre V10 naturally aspirated lump, feels as analogue and as unadulterated as they come. It makes you feel alive and the adrenaline rushes through your veins with the same ferocity as the V10 revs to its near 9000rpm redline. But other than the drama this second generation R8 has loads to live up to. The old car despite its age is still really good and the new one has to be exceptional to topple that. To achieve the same Audi has gone to great lengths and more.

The moment you lay eyes on the new R8, it just looks more balanced and menacing. It has unmistakable R8 styling cues, with the familiar rounded wheelarches, heavily raked windscreen, bold shoulder line and aerodynamic profile. But the new car has sharper edges especially at the front and it looks more dynamic even when standing still. Elements like the slim headlights with LED lighting, the signature Audi hexagonal grille and the dynamic turn indicators just add to the overall appeal. Unlike the old car which only has aluminium in its construction, the new R8 uses the combination of aluminium and carbon-fibre, which makes it lighter by 50kg. than the old V10 Plus. The chassis is around 40 per cent stiffer than the old car too, which should help its ride and handling prowess.

The new R8’s cabin is an extreme exercise of minimalism and is 100 percent focused on the driver. Like in the Audi TT, a 12.3-inch TFT ‘Virtual Cockpit’ replaces the dials and can be configured in a variety of ways. All information, including the navigation map, is now directly in front of the driver, on an ultra-high-quality TFT display that renders almost every other in-car screen obsolete. One trick sees a huge map digitally dismiss the tacho and speedometer to the outer corners of the screen. If this wasn’t enough then the complex Formula1 car like steering will surely make the driver feel even more special. Although some might argue there are way too many buttons on the steering but they all make sense and once use to, the driver doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road to change important settings. A large red button brings the monstrous V10 to life, another lets you switch the exhaust noise from sane to insane and the Drive Select lets you toggle through driving modes. But my favourite one is the ‘hooligan’ button, marked with a chequered flag that turns everything up to maximum on which you will read more later in the review.

The rest of the dashboard is uncluttered and Audi has even eliminated the central display in the process. The ultra-clean interior looks futuristic and purposeful without any distraction. Co-drivers may complain about the lack of a central screen, but when you have the V10 concerto and loads of G-forces to entertain you, then you shouldn’t really be cribbing.

Now onto the section this car was built for. Nestling right behind your ears is the state of the art 5.2-litre direct injection V10 motor. It produces a bonkers 602bhp, and that’s 60 more horses than the old V10+ and exactly the same as the mighty Lamborghini Huracan. First thing that hits you, as soon as you floor the throttle pedal is the way this motor spins. Revs don’t just climb but rather the engine just goes completely berserk as if Audi has forgotten to install the flywheel. Through the first few gears, you’re looking more at the sky than the road up ahead, as your neck works in vain to counter the force. In fact, the R8’s throttle response is so immediate that your neck feels more like an overcooked piece of meat struggling to retain its shape.

Configure the Drive Select to Dynamic and things get even more insane. Performance is now in proper supercar territory, and the car changes the way it responds to throttle inputs. The seven-speed, twin-clutch gearbox is lightning-quick with its shifts and you can use it in manual mode, gears shifting up only when you pull the right paddle. Then there is that ‘Hooligan’ button denoted by a chequered flag on the steering wheel activates the launch control and disables the ESC.

It’s a German car, so for the launch control to work you have to be clinical. First make sure the steering is facing straight, push the brake with your left foot and the accelerator with your right, and the revs climb to 4500 rpm. Lift off the brake and the R8 slams forward, with just a hint of wheelspin. Upshifts are done automatically at 8250 rpm, just in case you’re busy avoiding people instead of pulling the correct paddle. As a result flat-out performance figures are understandably rapid, with 100kph taking 3.56 seconds, 150kph 6.73 seconds and 200kph just over 11 seconds! It does all this while sounding evocative and it doesn’t need any trickery (like fake sound coming through the in car speakers) to make the occupants feel truly special.

Once you are done having fun, you can have a relaxing time in the R8 too. In the congested streets of Pune and Mumbai it’s quickly apparent that, with the R8 in comfort setting, is quite civilised for a car with that amount of performance on tap.

For a car with more than 600 horses under your right foot, the new R8 does a fine job of making the driver feel immortal. Within kilometres you can feel comfortable with the R8, attacking corners with remarkable confidence. Helping you out are the non-intrusive electronics which aid you face in the right direction and the quick acting Quattro system provides leech like grip. The R8 displays a remarkable willingness to change direction thanks not only to the quick-geared steering but also the exceptional rigidity of the body structure. If there is anything to criticise about its handling, is the R8’s tendency to understeer when you really push on. Don’t get me wrong, the chassis is playful but to a point, as Audi has clearly prioritised on stability first. You can always cure that with a well-timed lift, as the nose neatly into the corner and also gives you a hint of oversteer.

Thanks to the adjustable dampers the R8, even in this hardcore V10+ trim is surprisingly supple and actually quite comfortable to spend long hours in. Obviously it won’t be as forgiving as your everyday boring run about. But if you are fit enough you can actually use this monster every day. Stay away from sport mode though, unless you are married to an orthopaedic surgeon. Of course if you stay near a race circuit you can explore this mode but on the road you will feel the slightest of undulations and body movements are sharp. For me the individual mode works best – with engine, gearbox in sport and suspension set in comfort. Even its ground clearance surprised us. Thanks to the raised chin and reasonable clearance not once did the R8 scrape its belly even over the biggest of speedbreakers. The R8 in this V10+ trim also comes with standard carbon-ceramic brakes. These massive discs provide immediate and reassuring stopping power. The pedal feel which is usually the nemesis in carbon ceramics is actually quite linear.

Even though its user friendly, buying a supercar in India is not the most practical and for reasons which are not down to the car. On the occasion you want to arrive in style at a friends birthday party you have to think hundred times before giving it to the valet (remember the Lamborghini Gallardo video?). Even the state of our roads won’t do justice to its capabilities and you definitely don’t want the car to get hit by some intelligent biker who is trying to take a video with both hands while riding. Then there is the price, which at Rs 2.97crore is stratospheric. Ok enough! Please don’t listen to me. I am just trying to find excuses for my incapability to buy one. If you have the money then please go buy it as there are very few things in this world which will make you feel as alive as this orange rocket.

The Audi R8 is just available in this V10+ trim and its main rival is the Mercedes AMG GT S and the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Priced at Rs 2.97 crore the new R8 actually turns out to be good value considering the car it is based on and shares the engine with, the Lamborghini Huracan is way more expensive.

Pictures by: Kapil Angane

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