The Embodiment of Performance Has Got to Be the Audi R8
The Audi R8 was rolled out on the market back in 2006; this is a model that has a lot in common with another glorious car, the Gallardo from Italy’s Lamborghini. That should come to no surprise seeing how the two companies are part of the same German group that goes by the name of Volkswagen. On a side note, other grand names of the auto industry are owned by VW, including a renowned British brand; can you guess what it is?
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. To give you an idea on just how much you would have to spend to own an Audi R8, know that your house is probably worth less than the model. Topping the 100,000 range with a few tens of thousands of dollars, depending on options, the model is not exactly an item affordable for anyone. And that can only be a good thing, as not everyone can appreciate this car at its true value; if you just want something on 4 wheels to take you places, you would better invest in something else.
The car is aimed at the ambitions, at the stylish and the wealthy, as the Audi R8 price tag clearly indicates. It has an exotic touch about it that most sports cars do not own, or perform poorly in showing it. Its features and equipment are the ones responsible for that matter of facts, as we will see.
Since this is a sports car, the engine is very important. This department is amply covered by a good engine choice, providing sufficient power and torque to satisfy everyone. A V10 unit is capable of producing 525 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque, sending the Audi R8 to 60 mph in just under 4 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 197 mph. Needles to say what the reaction was when the world first heard about these numbers. Note that this was the second engine choice; the original engine to power the vehicle was a smaller V8 unit displacing 4.2 liters.
Now, the coupe is good and all that, but a Spyder version sound good too. The Audi R8 Spyder was also well received by the public. If you thought the coupe version was cool, the Spyder version goes beyond that. The price tag for owning an Audi R8 of this type is quite high, but the added levels of beauty, coolness and performance make up for it.
Keeping in line with the Audi tradition, the Quattro transmission is present on the R8 model and it does an outstanding job. The power is sent to the wheels via a 6 speed manual gearbox or a 6 speed automatic R tronic transmission system. The rear of the car gets most of the torque; going about things differently would not have been a wise decision.
If there is one downside to all of this is that performance comes at the cost of fuel. It is not exactly a new piece of information, but it had to be mentioned. Overall, the Audi R8 is one heck of an investment to make and a real pleasure to drive on a race track.
Next we’ll go over the Audi R8 V10 and the Audi R8 Spyder.
Watch this video on the Audi R8
Audi R8
Watch this video on the Audi R8