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OUR TAKE: The gawker factor is pretty high, so new is Audi to this segment. And like the design, the driving experience is both unique and subdued. It's a fast car, to be sure, but it's not a pulse-racer.
The engine sounds good when you call upon it, but it is so unobtrusive otherwise that there's no siren song of speed--if you want it, it's there, but the car doesn't urge you to go fast.
The R8 is so competent that you often find yourself going faster than you thought or intended, but that's a different emotional realm than the "drive me hard now" sensation you get from other mid-engined exotics, a Porsche Cayman or even a Corvette Z06. Perhaps a 500-hp edition would wake it up--there is, after all, 3600 pounds of car here.
It's so easy to drive this car fast that it can be a little bit of a letdown, but it's not a fault of the engineering--if anything, this car is over engineered.
So who's the perfect R8 customer? Well, for one thing he or she would love the exclusivity--with only 600 of these Audis in America in a year, you'll see more Porsches in a week than you'll see R8s in a year. You'll see more Corvettes on any given day.
Also on the list are Audi loyalists, of course--the people waving four-ring flags at ALMS races, who will find the R8 the closest thing they can get to their beloved prototypes.
After that, this car might appeal to the guy who takes his Porsche or Ferrari to track days and never manages to post fastest time of the day, or even beat his best buddy's time. With the R8, the mid-engine balance, the quattro drive, the forgiving nature and the power would give him a shot at accomplishing those goals.
As-tested price: $133,895
Drivetrain: 4.2-liter V8; awd, six-speed clutchless sequential manual
Output: 420 hp @ 7800 rpm, 317 lb-ft @ 4500-6000 rpm
Curb weight: 3616 lb
Fuel economy (EPA/AW): 15/16.2 mpg
Options: Enhanced leather package ($5,500); premium package, including Audi parking system advanced, six-CD changer, Audi hill-hold assist, Homelink, Bluetooth, auto-dimming exterior mirror, storage package ($3,500); Audi navigation system plus ($2,000); premium sound ($1,800)
2008 Audi R8 Quattro R tronic - AutoWeek Magazine
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