2009 Audi R8 Road Test Review

Interior class

The drive down gave me time to survey the interior of this $260k+ super Audi. No real surprises here, impeccable build-quality and an abundance of soft Nappa leather, an excellent Sat-nav system and every other conceivable technology you could ever want (and probably don’t need).

There is a surprisingly usable storage area behind the seats, good for a couple of small bags to compliment the sizeable (by supercar standards) storage in the nose.

The sports seats are both comfortable and supportive plus fully electrically adjustable (although feature no memory).

A minor demerit was that with drinks bottles placed in both bottle holders, you knock your elbow on them when changing gears. An annoyance R-tronic owners (making up the majority of R8s sold) will obviously not experience.

At this point in the excursion, the other half was loving the Audi luxury experience. Gathering by the thumbs-up and looks from passers-by, so did the locals as we passed through Torquay.

Opening the taps

From here on, the road quickly changes character. There are twisty tight ocean-hugging bends for kilometre after kilometre… and I had a torque-loving V8 powered supercar to play on them with.

Here, it was time to open up the vocal tunes of the 4.2 litre dry-sumped V8 from behind.

Although we find the same 309kW (414hp) at 7800 rpm engine back there as in the super saloon RS4, it uses a shorter set of pipes giving it a more aggressive and absolutely delicious growl.

Just try bouncing that sound of the V8 off the rock cliff-faces without grinning stupidly (…it’s impossible).

The car’s vocals sound even deeper and aggressive for on-lookers than the experience from the inside (even with windows fully down).

The sensitive clutch and brake began to gel as the kilometres piled on. The R8’s engine just wants to go and go with its 317 lb-ft of torque pushing relentlessly at your back.

The all aluminium body, with Quattro-all-wheel drive and the weight of a V8 engine, adds up to a credible but not ‘sports-car-light’ 1,560kg.

Jam the accelerator and 0-100km/h comes along in a blistering 4.6 sec.

The torque takes off from around 3300rpm, while the surge from 5000rpm to the 8250rpm red-line is irresistible.

On roads like these the engine’s torque means you rarely (if ever) need to search for second gear. Fifth and sixth gears take you straight into licence-losing territory in a blink of an eye.

Performance wise, slotting the 0-100kph in 4.7 seconds, the R8 is 0.2 of a second faster than its 997 Carrera 4S rival.

But it ‘feels’ faster in all areas, being an easier car to drive nearer the limit thanks to its permanent Quattro all-wheel-drive and central weight layout compared to the rear-engined 911 (that we know and love for its ‘backwardness’).

Steering feel is spot on. It’s power assisted, no faking it there, but the weightiness that made it feel a touch heavy when back on Melbourne’s city streets, gives amazing confidence-inducing feel on the tight twisty coastal roads.

On past Cape Otway, the coastal roads instantly served up more kilometres of testing driving surfaces to explore the car’s limits.

Landing hard into corners the brakes have unbelievable stopping power and have just the right pedal response once you get used to their feel.

On harder braking I found a slight vibration - as though the ABS was tickling things - coming through the pedal. (I expect this to be a small issue unique to this test car though and not the norm.)

The R8’s stopping power is particularly impressive when you realise it’s coming from standard steel disks.

Audi ceramic discs are an option overseas but I couldn't find this as an option on Australian models.

While talking rubber, the fronts are 235/35 and the rears 295/30. This means there is a little tram-lining evident on heavily-grooved roads, but nothing you cannot counter by surveying the road ahead.

At this point it seems relevant to mention the adaptive magnetic ride suspension.

The suspension settings are switchable by a button on the centre console between Normal and Sport.

In Sport mode the suspension firms up by using magnets to thicken the viscosity of the damper fluid, and it’s immediately apparent as soon as you press the button.

In the Normal suspension setting rather than Sport, I found the communication of what was happening down below (which, in turn, builds confidence at the wheel) more in harmony with my driving style.

After more time on the winding coastal roads, I noticed on the tighter sections that the A-pillar can sometimes partially block the view to the apex of the corner ahead.

I also found that at full steering lock, the fronts can rub on the inside of the wheel arch; a minor gripe for those few times you’re engaged in a three-point turn.

The Quattro all-wheel-drive system is fabulous, pushing/gripping you through the corners as you ease on the power from the apex. It’s similar to the feel of an Evo or WRX STI, but with the R8, with substantially more eagerness from the engine.

At our second overnight stop, a beautiful little vineyard close to the town of Timboon; again the Quattro system proved its grip on the loose gravel entrance to the property.

There, to a beautiful sunset, we marvelled at the red glow of the evening sun, reflecting off the R8’s perfect aluminium body.

Heading back towards Melbourne, after plotting a country roads route into the sat-nav to lengthen the drive, we again found occasion to stretch things out.

On some of the straighter sections, one thing becomes apparent; the R8 is one smooth and incredibly fast GT.

Slot the metal gearstick into 6th, set the adaptive suspension to the softer setting and the kilometres just breeze by. It’s easily as quiet and relaxed as a 911 Carrera or one of BMW's slinky saloons.

The Bang & Olufsen 465 Watt system with its 12-speakers deserves a positive mention here, rivalling the sound clarity of any top-shelf home hi-fi system.

Nearing home, our fuel average over three vigorous days at the wheel showed 14.5 l/100. True the 4.2 litre V8 didn't exactly sip at its 75 litre tank, but a lot was asked of it chasing the white-line along Victoria’s southern coastal roads.

As always, it’s hard to hand the keys over for a car after such a good road trip, especially a car as impressive and complete as the Audi R8.

This car delivers supercar thrills but is comfortable enough to be a regular driver – if you happen to have a wallet like a house brick of course.