"A girl to drive,
a car to love,
the music rocks me down the motorway."
One of my favorite bands, The Scorpions, penned those lyrics in 1979 for a song called Lovedrive. On Friday, July 2, I took delivery of a car to love, a 2010 Audi R8 V10, and headed up to Summerfest in Milwaukee to see the Scorps. The R8 is built in Neckarsulm, Germany, about 400 miles south of Hannover, the birthplace of Klaus, Rudolph, Matthias and the boys. Who ever said nothing good comes out of Germany?
It's not often that I get a car as cool as an R8, and the fact that it was a V10 model made it that much sweeter. That V10 displaces 5.2 liters and puts out 525 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. It comes to life with distinct and serious hum, and turns an already quick two-seater into a screamer. Standard quattro all-wheel-drive means power goes right to the pavement and doesn't disappear in a cloud of tiresmoke. Zero to 60 mph takes just 3.7 seconds and the top speed is 196 mph. Floor it from a stop and the car throws you back into the heavily bolstered seats. When launching, the only thing to worry about is the engine bogging down because the car actually gets too much grip.
My test car was equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Outfitted with a metal shifter and shiftgate, shifting the R8 is one of the most pleasurable experiences in all of motordom. Clutch takeup is somewhat abrupt, making the R8 a challenge to shift without stalling, but the lever slides from one get to the next with a satisfying "ka-chunk." The metal gate looks like it might catch the shifter and leave you caught between gears, but it is shaped to guide the lever to the next gear. I did, however, find that gears didn't always fully engage, especially reverse.
So, not only was I in an R8 heading north to see one of my favorite bands, but my weekend got even better...
"Wind,
in my hair,
shifting and drifting,
mechanical music,
adrenalin surge."
Day two of my stay in Milwaukee involved a second trip to Summerfest, this time to see my all-time favorite band, Rush. Rush's Nearl Peart wrote the lyrics above in 1981 for a song called Red Barchetta.
While the trip up to Milwaukee was a traffic-jam nightmare, I did find some opportunities to enjoy the sleek red R8 over the next few days. The aluminum Audi spaceframe provides a rock-solid structure that gives the car amazing dynamics. It sits so low to the ground that getting in and out is a pain, but the low ride height adds to the handling prowess. The R8 is capable of an amazing 1.2 g of lateral grip. Anything over 0.85 g is considered very sporty.
From behind the wheel, the R8 provides a driving experience that can best be described as special. The flat-bottom steering wheel feels great in your hands, and the car reacts quickly and readily to steering inputs. Cornering is absolutely flat and the car feels like its ready to tackle a racetrack. Though I didn't drive the V10 on a track, I have piloted a V8 model around the 4.1-mile Road America race circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Based on that experience, I can say that the R8 is a true supercar, with the power and handling prowess to compare with Porsches, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris.
As a purpose-built supercar, the R8 does have its limitations. The ride, however, is rather harsh, too harsh, in fact, for the girlfriend. The base price is $146,000, but my tester cost a lofty $170,350, thanks to a $3000 Gas Guzzler Tax, and about $20,000 worth of carbon fiber and leather. Storage is limited to just 3.53 cubic feet under the hood and about that much behind the seats. I was also disappointed by a few notable squeaks and rattles coming from the interior. Despite a $3500 Enhanced Leather package, the center console squeaked when I leaned on it. That's unacceptable in any car, especially one that costs $170K.
While I could never afford a car like this, I wish I could. The R8 is a pleasure to drive, and its stunning and unique looks make it a real head-turner. On several occasions, people stopped to talk about or take pictures of the car. Between The Scorpions, Rush, and the R8, it couldn't have been a better weekend.
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I love love love love love this car!! But they're so dang expensive, even used http://cars.trovit.com/used-cars/audi-r8 I guess I'll have to wait to win the lottery or til prices come down in about 15 years ha