2008 Audi R8

Even diamonds have flaws, and our R8 showed a few. The first challenge was stuffing our semi-soft duffel into the small, deep box in our Ice Sliver Metallic R8’s tiny (3.5 cu. ft.) front trunk. It barely fit. Next was programming our destination address into its optional ($2,000) navigation system, a process we found a tad tedious and user-unfriendly. Audi’s MMI multi-function control system is better than BMW’s awful iDrive but remains a pain in many ways. Twisting the switchblade key energizes the aural reward of 420 thoroughbred horses clearing their collective throat and tensing their muscles in anticipation. We soon find this car difficult to smoothly launch, however, due to its hair-trigger throttle and unusually high clutch take-up.

The first bit of go pedal sent revs racing while we struggled not to slip the clutch as it engaged way higher than expected. We don’t recall this issue with manual-shift R8s we drove during an earlier media preview, so we’ll chalk it up to hard use and abuse by previous drivers. The cabin is surprisingly roomy and access is easy even for larger drivers, partially thanks to the flat-bottom steering wheel, which we didn’t like at first but became accustomed to over time. Our only other major gripe was the clinky, clunky gated shifter inherited from the R8’s architectural cousin Lamborghini. We’ve always suspected that Italian exoticar shifters need guiding gates because their makers can’t design linkages that will operate precisely enough without them, but we expected better from Audi. They probably felt it appropriate for this car so chose not to invest time and money in designing and developing a better solution.


Once past the difficult launch, the R8 was quiet, comfortable and civilized in traffic, an absolute bullet in a straight line (4.4 sec. 0-60 mph) and a sheer delight driven hard and fast in the mountains. Not surprisingly, it has the grip, responsiveness, balance and braking prowess to be piloted aggressively yet safely on lightly traveled two-lanes. Each corner is a smooth progression—brake, downshift, steer, power-on, upshift, unwind—accompanied by a symphony of sound from one of the world’s finest V-8s just behind our heads. The combination of its low stance, sophisticated suspension, serious tires, Audi Quattro all-wheel drive and a rear-deck spoiler that deploys automatically above a certain speed, give it racer-like stability.

Track Day

The line was long all day for the one track-test R8 at Willow Springs, despite no shortage of other fine performance machines available for sampling. Full-throttle on the front straight, its pass-by sound was as succulent from the outside as it was from inside its finely crafted cabin. When we finally drove our allotted two track laps, we were balked by slower cars (and fast cars driven slowly) through the turns then blasted past them on the straights—and got scolded for “aggressive driving”—the only time that happened all day. The consolation: we knew no one else had an R8 waiting in the parking lot for the drive back over the mountain.


We missed a turn on our way back then found an even better road across the mountain. When we stopped for dinner on the other side, we could not erase the grins from our faces. Additional observations: The back-up camera (part of a $3,500 Premium Package), with graphic parallel lines showing the car’s intended path, is terrific. The tiny sun visors (borrowed from Audi’s TT sports car) are next to useless and won’t swing to the side. The outside lights stay on at night whenever the ignition is on, or a door is open, even with the engine off—not good when you don’t want them on. Our overall fuel economy, including considerable around-town miles, some freeway and two hard runs over the mountains, was a respectable 16.3 mpg.