Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro 2008 review

Let us say up front that the Audi R8 had been one of the most anticipated drives of the year. First seen as the Le Mans Concept at the 2003 Frankfurt motor show, the production R8 had been talked up to a degree only a true superstar could live up to.

Reports from the launch drive were mixed; good but not great, a bit of a show pony held back so as not to embarrass its Lamborghini stablemates, stylish but tries too hard.

It all added to the anticipation and, more than usual, first impressions were going to be everything.

Talk about getting off on the right foot. The test car was the six-speed manual with a solid body colour of brilliant red. The absence of the optional carbon-fibre ($5050) or silver ($2600) side air-intake panels immediately sent the spirits soaring.

The R8 doesn't need gimmickry to draw attention. Even the glass show-off panel over the mid-mounted engine is unnecessary. In its most basic form the R8 is an attention magnet.

It just looks the business. From the gaping front airdams, LED underscored headlights and no-nonsense stance through to the oversized TT-like rear the R8 speaks of getting on with it. Still, nobody had ever criticised it for being ugly.

Slip into the cabin and you are in for a very pleasant surprise.

You get the distinct feeling that those practical Germans have taken a long hard look at the captains of industry who are likely to be able to afford the R8 and — in the nicest possible way — made concessions for the regular boardroom lunch or three.

There is room to spare and comfort to burn. Even the basic sports seats are nicely styled to hug a larger frame rather than just the pencil-thin F1 driver on his day off.

If you want to step up to the creme-de-la-creme of sports seats, has Audi got a deal for you. For a mere $10,700 you can get the same carbon-fibre saddles as seen in the TT — and they come with the same compromises, a whopping price premium and the loss of the side airbags.

The instrument binnacle is deeply-cowled and concentrated high in front of the driver. The flat-bottomed steering wheel has a nice meaty feel to it, with easy-to-use audio controls on the cross-arms.

The open-gated six-speed manual shifter is a nice piece of art in a cabin that leans towards the minimalist and, more to the point, is well placed to come easily to hand.

Storage space is not excessive but by supercar standards it is generous. There was also the optional storage package ($800) on the test car. There is a reasonable parcel shelf behind the seats and enough room for a phone and wallet in the centre console.

The test car interior was standard and pretty good for all that. If you have a bit of pocket change left after purchase you could always option up to the $13,450 Napa leather treatment with sensuous-to-the-touch hide stretched across the dash, door trims, handbrake lever and further.

So much for looks, how about ability? Straight up, the performance parameters of the R8 are not about being a supercar.

Make no mistake, 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 301km/h are nothing to be sneered at, but neither are they in true supercar territory. A Mercedes SL600, Porsche 911 GT3, BMW M6 and a few others can match it and nobody thinks of them as supercars. Think mid-three seconds if you want to wear that tag.

The upside of the R8's performance is that it has been set up as a car you can live with every day and shake the cobwebs out any time you like.

It doesn't feel harsh and super-sharp, neither in the throttle, suspension nor steering.

They are all at the better end of the sportscar scale but are still enjoyable without being tiring.

Fire up the 4.2-litre V8 and wonder where it went. The isolation from the engine, sitting behind you, is such that the initial cabin noise is sedan-like.

Wind down the window, find a tunnel and then jab the throttle.

That will give some idea of how good this thing sounds to those merely looking on. From the driver's seat you are going to have to be satisfied with a far more subtle experience.

The free-revving V8 is the same as the one in Audi's glorious RS4 — and while it shares the same magic it suffers from the same frustrations.

At urban pace the benefits of a 309kW powerplant that spins up to 7800rpm remain largely untapped.

Even the 430Nm of torque — which peaks at 4500rpm and hangs around until 6000rpm — rarely gets the chance to contribute.

It is also keen for a drink. Feather-throttle driving is not something the R8 encourages so be prepared to accept that the official 14.6litre per 100km economy rating is an ambit claim. It is going to be quite a bit higher than that.

Drive for the R8 is through Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system, tuned in the R8 to give serious bias to the rear and not spoil all the fun.

Adjustable sports suspension has its benefits but apart from the rare smooth section of sweeping highway and a trip to the track the comfort setting will be more than adequate.

News from the New York Motor Show this week  the R8 had plucked two of the four World Car of The Year awards — Performance Car Of The Year and Design Of The Year — will only add to the R8's lustre.

The bottom line

Superstar, not supercar.

Snapshot

Audi R8

Price: $259,900

Engine: 4.2L/V8, 308kW/420Nm

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Performance: 0-100km/h 4.6secs

The rivals

Porsche 911 Carrera S

Price: $233,100

Engine: 3.6L/6cyl, 261kW/400Nm

Transmission: 5-speed tiptronic

Performance: 0-100km/h 4.8secs

BMW M6 coupe

Price: $276,400

Engine: 5.0L/V10, 373kW/520Nm

Transmission: 7-speed sequential manual

Performance: 0-100km/h 4.6secs

Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Price: $382,974

Engine: 6.2L/V8, 385kW/630Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with manual mode

Performance: 0-100km/h 4.6secs