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Christmas special test: Audi R8 V10
publication date: Dec 24, 2011
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author/source: Robin Roberts
It is said to be
better to give than receive, so what do you think that great giver, Father
Christmas, would appreciate? Possibly an Audi R8 V10.
The ultimate R8
must be top of the Christmas list for countless car lovers and a few lovely
children as well, and probably some unlovely brats to boot.
Its pedigree is
well established, developed from Audi's racing cars, refined for road use and
first revealed as a V8, the big
|  | brother V10 is an awesome addition to its
burgeoning range of highly desirable cars. Little wonder that
Audi has climbed over its closest rivals and now enjoys incredible presence and
admiration. Some wonder if it's truly deserved or just a remarkable marketing
success story with less substance than reality.
Well, all I can say
is that the Audi R8 V10 deserves to stand wing by wing-mirror with exotic-cars
costing even more than the £109,000 commanded by this car. It looks the part
and it pulls at the heart with its tactile, audible and dynamic qualities.
|  | The mid-engined 5.2
litre V10 fills the rear window, and you can even enjoy it at night thanks to
the in-situ lights bathing it in a blue hue.
It starts after a
momentary delay and fires up with a deep rumble and roar which can be
encouraged to rise to a crescendo as the throttle depresses.
Rather like a herd
of reindeer rushing to do their duty and the honour of pulling the old man's
sleigh on Christmas Eve. |
The power comes
immediately and in a tidal wave if you push hard on the throttle, there is no
delay and it never seems to run out of breath.
Much of the
engine's ability to deliver is down to the brilliant six-speed gearbox, which
is not particularly quick in action and the first ratio is short, but it moves
directly and snappily through its metal gate with accompanying clicks from the
lever.
The clutch has a
reasonably long travel but its biting point is quite sharp and much of the
travel seems to be wasted afterwards, but you can make some extremely smooth
changes when you do it slowly.
Matching the power
is the progressive and strong braking system underfoot which can dramatically
slow it from any speed with utter precision and very, very quickly. I liked the
balance, effort and feel required of the steering and it turned tightly in town
but without any twitchiness on open roads where it could be very accurately placed
through sweeping curves.
The tenacity with
which it grips the road is inspiring and impressive. You can bowl into a bend,
caress the wheel through the corner and just sit confidently and composed as
its chassis sorts out everything underneath the big wheels and tyres.
Handling is almost
neutral in nature with some tendency to run wide on tighter turns, but it has
no vices to catch out the unwary or deliver a spin on a wintry road.
What's possibly
more surprising is that the ride quality is as good as it is. The R8 V10 does a
good job of absorbing shocks and it has hardly any roll through curves and it's
never put off line by mid-corner ripples.
|  | The interior is
inviting and involving with good access though its low slung, the seats hug the
body and support the legs and sides and everything is conveniently and
purposefully set out very so all those usual secondary switches immediately
fall to fingers. Instruments are big
and clear, the heating and ventilation straightforward and effective, the
visibility good except when looking over the shoulder. Wipers and lights are
well up to the car's performance potential. |
Noise levels are
generally low until you push the throttle, and even the big tyres do not
contribute too much road rumbling.
Inside, the space
for oddments is modest, and most things will find their way behind the seats,
but there is very little bootspace as such, possibly enough for an overnight
bag.
| VERDICT
So, it is not the
ideal car for Santa to do his annual sweep around the world delivering
presents, but definitely a car he or you would want for a well-earned weekend
away. The Audi R8 V8 was and
still is very impressive, while the V10 moves it on up the range against rivals
which look distinctly over-priced and less complete and composed. |  |
| Fast Facts:
Audi R8 V10 £109,090 | Insurance: 20/ 50 | | Mechanical: 525ps 5.2
V10, 6sp | Emissions:346gkm | | Performance: 197mph
max., 3.9sec 0-62mph | Warranty: 3yrs/ 60k | | Consumption: 17mpg | © Robin Roberts | |
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