By PETER ANDERSON
THE Australian Audi R8 range consists of two cars, the V10 Coupe and the V10 Plus, the former weighing in at $354,900, the latter $389,900.
Visually you can easily tell the two apart. From the front the Plus’s big grille is a glossy black.
There’s a huge, DTM-inspired carbon fibre wing on the back, replacing the Coupe’s electric-lift wing that pops up at 120 km/h.
The bigger differences are under the skin.
Both run the same 5.2 litre V10 FSI paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The Coupe has a stout 397 kW with the Plus adding 52 kW for a grand total of 449 kW.
The Plus also has different gear ratios from gears three to seven, the first two shorter to increase punch, the top two longer to eke out an extra 10km/h top speed (330 km/h, if you’re game).
The R8’s interior is cool, clear and calm.
The dash appears to float in the air and gives the cabin an airier, roomier feel.
The driving position is also just right, with everything in a straight line.
The new Audi R8 goes without the older car’s manual option, with a set of paddles attached to the flat-bottomed steering wheel.
The Coupe has two buttons on the wheel, one to start the engine, the other to choose between driving modes.
Comfort keeps things quiet while Dynamic amps things up considerably, including opening up the exhaust to let out the V10’s glorious racket.
Audi R8 Plus gains the Performance dial, three more modes over and above Dynamic – Snow, Wet and Dry.
Last but not least is a separate control for the exhaust, letting you float along in Comfort mode while crackling and popping as you lift off for that red light up ahead.
Long, fast sweeping corners are easily dispatched in the V10 Plus and it’s a very convincing GT car.
The only fault we could find was a propensity for a hefty metallic clunk to issue from the front wheels when skipping through divots in the road.
A sudden heavy shower soaked the road – the R8 took it in its stride, the quattro all-wheel drive keeping the car firmly planted.
Running downhill is always a fantastic test of brakes and the carbon discs have excellent feel and don’t need a series of hard stops to get them working properly.
They’re easy to modulate, too, with finely judged travel and assistance.
The V10 spins like a motorbike engine, careening to the redline with glee, the fully digital virtual cockpit instruments madly flashing red at you to shift up.
The R8 turns out to be almost vice-free. Despite its all-wheel drive, you can still trim the line with a lift or push of the throttle depending on what you want.
The steering is sharp and light – that second attribute will cause some drivers a little heartache but it also means that the vast majority of the time when the car is used as a tool rather than a weapon, it won’t tire you out.
Audi’s new R8 is probably the most low-key supercar you can buy and is bristling with technology that all just works letting you get on with the thing it’s built for – driving.
For more information contact Audi Barry Bourke, 755 Princes Highway, Berwick. Phone 9707 2222.
