Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 27

AUDI R8 FROM $366,340

THINGS WE LIKE

 Berserk naturally-aspirated V10

 Brilliant sports seats

 Nice loud exhaust noises

 Track-fi t dynamics

 Slick TFT instrument and

infotainment screen

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Electromechanical steering could

do with more road feel

Trim around instrument binnacle

causes bad windscreen refl ections

Getting in and out is an athletic

exercise

Rear wing on Plus is an

acquired taste

Not much cabin storage

SPEX (R8 V10)

 Made in Germany

 5.2-litre V10 petrol/seven-speed

automated manual/all-wheel drive

 397kW of power at 7800rpm/540Nm

of torque at 6500rpm

 0–100km/h in 3.5 seconds (claimed)

 8.4L/100km highway; 16.7L/100km

city, 98 octane; CO 2 emissions are

272g/km

 Warranty: Three years/unlimited

kilometres

 Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, navigation with MMI

Touch, leather/Alcantara trim, LED

headlights with laser high beam,

19-inch alloys, TFT instruments,

Bluetooth, automatic parking.

R8 V10 plus adds Nappa leather

upholstery, fi xed Carbon Fibre

Reinforced Polymer rear wing

 Redbook future values: 3yr: 51%;

5yr: 39%

compare with ...

Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini

Huracán, McLaren 570S, Porsche

911 Turbo

Safety

Not Tested

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

J

ust as the original R8 was
an engineering twin with
the Lamborghini Gallardo,
this second-generation model
shares its underpinnings with
the Lambo Huracán, including
its hybrid construction
(aluminium alloy/carbon fi bre
reinforced polymer) space
frame, a V10 powerplant, seven-
speed dual-clutch gearbox,
double-wishbone suspension
and all-wheel-drive.
In an age of emissions-driven
engine downsizing, the Audi
fl agship’s 5.2-litre naturally-
aspirated V10, mounted
longitudinally in the centre of
the car, is quite literally a
breath of fresh air. There are
no turbos or superchargers to
force induction here, just pure,
free-revving, atmo joy.
This R8 is still instantly
recognisable as a design
descendant of the model it
replaces. The wheelbase is
identical, although the new car is
marginally shorter overall, thanks
to 9mm taken out of the front
overhang. It’s also wider (+10mm),
lower (-12mm), and lighter (-40kg).

For now, the standard R8

V10, priced at $366,340 or

$387,840 for the Spyder, produces

397kW/540Nm; the R8 V10 Plus,

at $402,340 ($424,129 for the

Spyder), generates 449kW/560Nm.

That’s serious grunt in a car

weighing only 1555kg.

A rear-wheel drive R8 variant,

with the 397kW engine, costs

$299,129, though with production

limited to just 999 units

worldwide, in coupe and Spyder

body styles, Australia’s allocation

is probably sold out already.

Claimed 0–100km/h time for

the standard R8 is 3.5 seconds,

with the R8 V10 Plus shaving

three tenths off that.

On a German autobahn, the

Plus will have you blasting up to

its maximum speed of 330km/h

(if you dare). More than a match

for Porsche’s 911 Carrera. In

fact, it’s more in the supercar

911 Turbo S zone.

No surprise then that the drive

experience is simply sensational.

The combination of port (low revs)

and direct (high revs) injection,

plus variable cam and valve timing

optimises torque and power

delivery across the rev range, and

each rapid-fi re (paddle) change of

the S-Tronic shift-by-wire, dual-

clutch seven-speed ‘box delivers

another rush of acceleration as

the all-alloy unit howls furiously

towards its 8700rpm ceiling.

Audi claims the blended

chassis is 40 per cent stiffer,

using CFRP around the cockpit

and main bulkhead with

aluminium everywhere else.

The quattro all-wheel-drive

system uses a combination of

mechanical diff lock and electro-

hydraulic multi-plate clutch

to manage drive distribution

between the axles, and steering

is electro-mechanical.

Standard rubber is 19-inch

Pirelli P Zero (245/35 front and

295/35 rear).

Even under extreme

cornering pressure the R8

remains stable and composed,

with quick turn-in and modest,

easily controlled understeer at

the sky-high limit of adhesion.

Cockpit design is all about

the driver and a 12.3-inch

TFT instrument display can

be confi gured for multiple

arrangements, with media,

navigation and other functions

included. Very slick.

The standard multi-adjustable

seats are brilliant and the

grippy, leather-trimmed wheel,

complete with race car-style

satellite buttons is aligned

carefully with the main gauges

and peripheral switchgear.

The big V10 features COD

(Cylinder On Demand) tech which

drops one bank of cylinders at

low loads (alternating either

side to avoid catalytic converter

cooling), a coasting mode which

decouples the gearbox on zero

throttle downhill runs, and a

smooth stop-start function — all

contributing to a claimed 13 per

cent fuel economy improvement.

Who needs turbos?

By James Cleary