![]() Because opportunities to really let rip are frustratingly few and limited to the odd overly-dramatic squirt here and there.Īnd throughout all this, you’re never aware of the extra kilos. Well, it would be it not for such things as wanting to maintain a grip on your license. But the response to the throttle and the sensations it unleashes means that is no hardship, the (now compulsory) S Tronic dual-clutch seamlessly blurring shifts and acceleration into one thrilling crescendo. Peak power is at 7,800rpm and you don’t get your full torque quota until 6,500rpm, 1,500rpm beyond the point where the 911 Turbo has given you its best. It’s rather more exciting to drive than a TT too. And the Spyder lets you enjoy it to the full, even if you keep the hood up and just drop the small vertical rear screen to savour the sound effects. The R8 is a genuinely dramatic supercar with an engine to match, the like of which we likely won’t see again. It also rather exposes the curious argument made by a few keyboard warriors that a TT RS is basically a half-price R8 because it’s only a tenth slower to 62mph. Because the engine’s theatrics are a defining feature and, arguably, pack a more emotive punch than the 911 Turbo’s additional power. Once over its dramatic warm-up cycle, it quietens down but you’ll likely be straight on the exhaust button to make it loud again. The noise from the V10 definitely helps here, the dramatic flare of barely silenced revs on start up setting the scene. We’ve got used to modern cars being heavy though and manufacturers have got very good at hiding the extra flab behind a girdle of technology, helping you forget that with a mate and a bit of luggage onboard an R8 Spyder could easily be a two-tonne machine.Īt a superficial level, it certainly doesn’t feel burdened by excess kilos either. Audi points out this is 25kg less than the previous V10 Spyder and the structure is a claimed 50 percent stiffer but it’s still 125kg more than the already pretty hefty coupe, 70kg heavier than the closely related Huracan Spyder and rather exposes on the “lightweight” claims of the aluminum Audi Space Frame construction. One other number rather stares out, that being a curb weight of 1,795kg with a not especially powerfully built 75kg driver onboard. These can be optioned onto the Spyder of course and all but the ‘race’ seats and rear wing feature on our test car, bringing the price to a burly £164,240 in total – see below for full details. The Plus also gets standard ceramic brakes over the regular ‘wavy’ steel rotors, carbon blades and mirror housings, a rear wing, fixed-back seats and an additional three-way Performance selector in addition to the four-step Audi Drive Select, bringing the total ‘satellite’ button count on the wheel to four. Nor is it denying it, though.Īs per the coupe the main differences between V10 and V10 Plus, other than the power, include different gearing to group the first six ratios together and use seventh as an overdrive. Audi’s not confirming a V10 Plus version of the Spyder yet. There’s a 580hp S version of the Turbo Cabrio too, of course, this costing £154,614. Outside of the R8 range it’s pretty clear what car Audi has in its sights with this new Spyder too – in one of those spooky coincidences the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet costs £135,766 and also has 540hp, albeit with an over boosted 523lb ft of torque that makes the Audi’s naturally aspirated 398lb ft at 6,500rpm look a little breathless in comparison. That car costs £119K, the Spyder commanding a premium of £10,000 to a starting price of £129,990 while the full-fat V10 Plus, with its Huracan-matching 610hp, starts at £134,520. ![]() No matter this is the ‘low power’ version of the R8’s 5.2-litre V10, with 540hp as per the regular V10 coupe. Its highlight remains that naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 engine the R8 and the Lamborghini Huracan with which it shares its powertrain and hybrid carbon/aluminum Modular Sportscar System platform likely the last atmospheric-engined mainstream sports/supercars we’ll see. But, as previously discussed, there’s a danger its all-round competence rather saves the best of the show for onlookers rather than the driver. The coupe version of the R8 with which we are already familiar is a more than satisfying steer. Call it the road testing equivalent of method acting… But I’ll work on the basis most people buying a V10-powered open-topped supercar aren’t doing so to slip under the radar. Given my first action before departing the launch venue was to press the noisy exhaust button and my second was to drop the roof I guess that would confirm it. That must make me a shameless poser then. But I’m not far into my drive before thinking it could be the best yet. The Audi R8 Spyder is the heaviest, slowest and, arguably, the R8 for posers as much as drivers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |