Road & Track Update on R8 Testing Differences

ROAD & TRACK UPDATE AUDI R8 (AUGUST 07)

YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY THERE'S A ROAD TEST UPDATE ON A CAR WE RAN NUMBERS ON ONLY THREE MONTHS A GO. ONE REASON IS WE FOUND ACCELERATION DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CONVENTIONAL MANUAL AND ITS AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED COUNTERPART. WHILE THE LATTER IN THE R8 , DUBBED R-TRONIC , EXHIBITS LIGHTNING-QUICK GEARCHANGES , IT DOESN'T PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH THE ULTIMATE CONTROL DURING LAUNCH THAT THE MANUAL DOES . DESPITE BEING EQUIPPED WITH LAUNCH CONTROL , THE AUTOMATIC R8 RESTRICTS THE ENGINE SPEED TO ONLY 5000 RPM WHEN GETTING OFF THE LINE . THE 6-SPEED MANUAL GEARBOX , ON THE OTHER HAND , LETS YOU REV THE 4.2 LITER V-8 ALL THE WAY TO REDLINE (8250 RPM) BEFORE DROPPING THE CLUTCH TO GET THE OPTIMAL AMOUNT OF WHEELSPIN WHILE TAKING OFF.

SO WHEN WE GOT OUR HANDS ON A MANUAL EQUIPPED R8 , WE TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THE TEST TRACK WHERE THE NUMBERS TOLD THE STORY. FROM ZERO TO 60 MPH , THE MANUAL R8 CLOCKED IN AT 4.0 SECONDS , 0.3 SECONDS QUICKER THAN THE AUTOMATIC . THAT SAID , THE R-TRONIC'S QUICKSHIFTS ALOWED THE AUTOMATIC R8 TO NARROW THE GAP TO 0.1 SECONDS AT THE QUARTER-MILE MARK.

CONTROL AND PERFORMANCE AREN'T THE ONLY REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE MANUAL . NEVERMIND THE R-TRONIC WILL RUN YOU AN EXTRA $9000 , THE MANUAL GEARBOX IN THE R8 IS ONE OF THE SMOOTHEST , SLICKEST UNITS IN THE MARKET PLACE.THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS SURPRISINGLY LIGHT , AND THE SHIFTER SNAPS INTO EACH GEAR WITH A SLIGHT PUSH OR PULL OF THE RIGHT HAND. THE PEDALS ARE SET UP FOR EASY HEEL-AND-TOEING , ALLOWING YOU TO MATCH REVS AND ENTER CORNERS IN A WAY YOU JUST CAN'T EXPERIENCE WITH AN AUTOMATIC. AND THE MANUAL LOOKS BETTER , TOO , THANKS TO THE METAL GATED SHIFT PLATE.

ANOTHER REASON FOR THIS UPDATE IS A MORE PERSONAL ONE: TO RELAY THE FIST IMPRESSIONS OF MORE MEMBERS OF THE R&T STAFF.MOST OF US MARVELED AT THE CIVIL NATURE OF THE CAR , SOME EVEN GOING AS FAR AS LIKENING IT TO A LUXURY SEDAN . "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS THING IS SO SMOOTH , IT'S EASY TO FORGET YOU'RE IN AN EXOTIC SPORTS CAR . THE CAR IS QUIET , AND THE RIDE QUALITY IS SILKY . WITH THE R8 , YOU DON'T NEED A SEPARATE EVERYDAY COMMUTER CAR , THIS AUDI IS AS COMFORTABLE AS VIRTUALLY ANY SPORTS SEDAN OUT THERE," ONE EDITOR COMMENTED.

ANOTHER EDITOR REMARKED: "I REALLY LIKE IT. IT MAY BORDER ON SACRILEGE , BUT THE R8 REMINDS ME OF A GERMAN VERSION OF THE ACURA NXS , WHAT WITH ITS SEWING -MACHINE- LIKE ENGINE BEHIND THE DRIVER. I ALSO LIKE THE LOW COWL AND GENEROUS INTERIOR SPACE."EVERY ENTRY IN THE CAR'S NOTEBOOK CONSISTED OF GLOWING PRAISE FOR THE GERMAN SUPER CAR. AND IF WE HAD ARE WAY , WE'D DO A ROAD TEST UPDATE ON THE R8 EVERY MONTH , JUST SO WE CAN KEEP DRIVING IT.

SAM MITANI (R&T AUGUST 07)