2008 Audi R8 Review

So what do you do with the low-slung, 187-mph mid-engine Audi R8 sports car with oh-my-gosh styling and a 420-horsepower V-8 tucked under a transparent glass cover?

Drive it like a regular car? Well, why not? The R8 is an "everyday supercar" with a spacious, comfortable cockpit with power/heated leather/Alcantara sport seats, automatic climate control, elaborate sound system, power windows and cruise control. Safety items even include knee air bags.

However, the hand-assembled all-wheel-drive R8, which has advanced aluminum construction, is the fastest Audi ever built and tells you right away that it would be happiest on a race track or no-speed-limit European highways.

I mean, my goodness, if you just want to get from Point A to Point B, drive a Hyundai, not this rocket ship! Car magazines have been doing backflips since they tested the R8. It doesn't go on sale in America until September, so I drove a European version modified to U.S. specifications.

The R8 is Audi's flagship auto, one that compares favorably with a Ferrari F430 or Porsche 911 GT3. It thus enters new territory for Audi. Even Mercedes and BMW haven't successfully tackled such terrain.

There are no stiff $185,000-plus Ferrari prices, as the R8 costs $109,000 with a six-speed manual transmission and $118,000 with a six-speed "R tronic" automatic gearbox.

I'd opt for the manual because the R tronic shifts efficiently but rather roughly when left in automatic mode because the R8 is a take-no-prisoner's car. Slipping it in "sport" mode evens out the shifts a bit but delays upshifts from lower gears far too long. Manual shifts with the R tronic work well.

Audi gave the R8 an ultrafunctional appearance, like a race car's. For instance, wide "side blades" behind the front doors, which can be had in a contrasting color, might look odd to some but house engine-bay air scoops. The R8 has a great appetite for air, as do all super-high-performance sports cars.

The high-revving (7,800 rpm) engine emits a soft-but-menacing rumble at idle and a spin-tingling staccato snarl during hard acceleration, but otherwise is quiet.

The 0-60 mph time is just a tick over four seconds, and merging and highway passing are virtually effortless. The front end of the R8 looks especially ferocious, so slow drivers in the fast lane quickly move over when their drivers glance at the Audi in their rearview mirror.

High-speed stability is especially good because the R8 has such items as aerodynamic underbody diffusers that use onrushing air to help keep it pinned to roads -- another race car trick.

Despite aluminum construction, the R8 weighs 3,605 pounds. Fuel economy thus is an estimated 13 mpg in the city and 20 on highways with the manual and 13 and 19 with the R tronic transmission. Buyers must figure on a gas-guzzler tax of $1,700-$2,100. Not that many of them will care about that tax because a car such as the R8 doesn't come along very often.

It shouldn't be surprising that a car such as the R8 comes from Audi. This German automaker has won numerous major races. For instance, it's been a five-time winner at the Le Mans 24-hour race in France. The R8 is aptly named after Audi's Le Mans winning car.

The steering is rather heavy but quick and telepathic, controlled by a small, flat-bottom D-shaped steering wheel. The sophisticated all-wheel-drive system and big, wide 19-inch tires, electronic stability control and sophisticated suspension give the car excellent balance and grace.

The ride won't beat you up. The rigid aluminum space frame and magnetic ride adaptive damping system help here. The firm brake pedal is a bit touchy in town, but allows easy high-speed braking.

Auto engineers have the most fun designing cars such as the R8 because they don't have to make a wide range of motorists happy. Thus, the car has an over-the-shoulder blind spot that would be unacceptable in a mass-produced regular car. But the windshield is huge, the cowl is low and outside mirrors are large; they also fold flat against the side windows to avoid damage.

Gauges can be easily read in the artful dashboard, but sun visors with their unlit vanity mirrors don't swivel to the side and are small -- as are sound system controls. The dual console cupholders are set too far back for convenient access, and it's easy to accidentally activate the emergency flashers with your hand when manually shifting the R tronic automatic transmission with the console shifter. (There also are steering-wheel shifter paddles, but they're rather awkward to use.)

The comfortable seats provide excellent side support and slide back far enough to satisfy tall folks. Agility is needed to get in and out, although long, light doors assist entry and exit.

It's impossible to see where the front and rear of the car ends, so it's a good idea to get the optional Premium Package to avoid body damage. It has Audi's parking system, which warns when the R8 is getting too close to stationary objects.

The front cargo compartment is small but usefully shaped, and the space behind the front seats looks like it will take a golf bag or several duffel bags.

Although hardly cheap, the R8 is a bargain that should have a high resale value -- if its owner can ever bring himself to sell it.

2008 AUDI R8

PRICE: $109,000-$118,000.

LIKES: Wild styling. Fast. Race-car handling. Posh interior. Exclusive.

DISLIKES: Can't see front end when parking. Abrupt automatic-mode transmission. Rear blind spots.