 For
4 decades nobody could threaten Porsche 911's domination in the global
sports car market, thanks to its combination of engineering excellence,
everyday practicality and production quality. It easily fended off
every challenge from Lotus, Jaguar and Maserati etc. In fact, the
biggest threat to 911 should have come from BMW, as it possesses all
the aforementioned qualities yet has the money to develop whatever it
want. However, since the failure of M1, BMW has never tried to develop
another dedicated sports car to rival Porsche. This leaves a great
opportunity to Audi. If it could build a sports car as good as the 911,
its image could be lifted above the level of BMW and benefit the rest
of the range. Whether it could outsell the Porsche is not important.Audi's dream of producing its first mid-engined sports car began in 1991, when it launched an aluminum concept car called "Quattro Spyder". Unfortunately, the car did not reach production as Ferdinand Piech, the CEO of Audi then as well as a member of the Porsche family, was afraid that it could hurt Porsche. 12 years later in Frankfurt motor show - by then Piech had already retired from the top job of Volkswagen group, Audi's new boss Martin Winterkorn unveiled a new mid-engined concept car called "Le Mans". Winterkorn was fascinated with the idea of an "Audi 911". He decided to put it into production, albeit in detuned form. 3 years later, Audi R8 was born. Born from Gallardo The road to R8 is much easier than that BMW experienced in M1, because Audi has a subsidiary called Lamborghini. Lamborghini Gallardo was largely developed by Audi's engineers, so the latter should have the necessary expertise to realize the car. Besides, the aluminum chassis of Gallardo is produced in Audi's Neckarsulm plant, so R8 could share the manufacturing tooling and parts with its Lamborghini cousin. In fact, Audi made no secret that the R8 is loosely developed from the Gallardo platform. They have similar aluminum space-frame chassis construction, although the Audi's wheelbase is stretched by 90 mm to provide extra luggage space behind the seats, enough for a couple of golf bags. The chassis is also considerably taller than the Lamborghini to give more headroom.  Both cars share similar
double-wishbone suspensions (although with
unique setting) and basically the same viscous-coupling 4-wheel-drive
system. The latter is the best indication for its Lamborghini genes, as
Audi's own 4WD system uses Torsen center differential instead. The
viscous-coupler ensures the car to feel rear-drive in normal condition.
Up to 35 percent of the torque will be sent to the front wheels when
the rear wheels start slipping. As for transmission, R8 shares the
Gallardo's 6-speed manual box and E-gear semi-automatic, although the
latter has been renamed to "R Tronic" to hide its origin.However, the biggest departure from the Lamborghini is engine, at least at the moment. Instead of a 5-liter V10, the rival to Porsche 911 needs a cheaper mass production engine. What could be better than the RS4's 4.2-liter direct-injection V8 ? it produces 420 horsepower at 7800 rpm and 317 lbft of torque from 4500-6000 rpm. 90 percent of the maximum torque is available from 3500-7600 rpm, yet the turbine-smooth V8 will spin to 8250 rpm redline, thanks to lightweight and Nikasil-coated pistons. All these excellent figures mean Audi needs not to alter the engine for the R8, except converting it to dry-sump lubrication to let it sit lower in the chassis. The engine is fully visible through a Ferrari-style glass screen.  Weight control is not what the
R8 did particularly well. This
all-aluminum 2-seater weighs 1560 kilograms, only 90 kg less than the
RS4 and 85 kg heavier than the steel-bodied 911 Carrera 4S, which is
its closest rival. However, the superior power enables it to top 187
mph and accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, slightly quicker than
Carrera 4S.The R8 employs all-round double-wisbhone suspensions with forged aluminum control arms. Each rear suspension has an additional track-control arm for better control. To provide a smoother ride, there is more wheel travel while springs and dampers are set softer than the Lamborghini. Delphi's Magnetic Ride adaptive damping is a must-have option, as it improves ride quality considerably without sacrificing handling. With or without this option, the R8 handles brilliantly because its weight distribution is better than Gallardo (44:56 versus 42:58), thanks to the smaller engine. Unique Design  From
exterior, you can hardly see any traces of Gallardo. The R8's soft
and organic profile is more Porsche than Lamborghini, yet the
single-frame grille and the signature black "sideblades" give it a
unique appearance. Either side of the single-frame grille is a huge
louvered intake, giving the R8 a fire-breathing look. Most special, the
headlamps look like to be suspended at the top edge of the huge
intakes. These are the world's first full LED headlamps, no wonder they
are so narrow yet so bright. Unlike Gallardo, the R8 has a low waist
line to give a lighter visual effect. To compensate for the resultant
aerodynamic lift, it employs a pair of diffusers and a retractable rear
spoiler which raises at speed to generate downforce. Overall, the R8 is
an attractive design that combines a coherent shape with some
aggressive details. Better
still is sit comfort. The cabin is very spacious, offering
plenty of head room and shoulder room. Visibility is superb by sports
car standard. Wide range of adjustment at the seats and steering wheel
ensure excellent driving position. The cabin design, materials and
build quality meet the highest standard of Audi. Well, it might lack
the bespoke feel of Maserati or Aston Martin, but it feels far more
expensive than the 911.On the Road From the moment you sit in the comfortable sports seat and engage the light clutch, you realize this is the most friendly mid-engined sports car since Honda NSX. The gated 6-speed manual gearbox shifts cleanly. The V8 is creamy smooth, effortlessly revvy yet surprisingly quiet – so refined that you tend to underestimate the speed you are traveling.  Fast, of
course, but the V8 needs rev to realize its performance. It
does not possess the explosiveness of Ferrari F430 or Porsche 911
Turbo. Nevertheless, a 911 Carrera S is still beatable. Road &
Track found it took 4.3 seconds to accelerate from 0-60 mph and 10.5
seconds to 100 mph. Motor Trend timed slightly quicker at 4.1 and 10.3
seconds respectively. Therefore we can say the R8 is faster than
Carrera S by a whisky. In terms of price, the £77,000 Audi is
also closer to the Carrera S (£66,000) and Carrera 4S
(£70,000) than 911 Turbo (£98,000) and F430
(£129,000). So it is fair to compare with only the normally
aspirated 911s.On the move, you must appreciate the superb ride quality of the R8. With magnetic dampers opted, the R8 is as practical as a long-distance grand tourer as 911. No, it smoothens rough surfaces even better than the Porsche's adaptive damping. High-speed ride and stability are equally impressive. In addition to a generous 90-liter fuel tank, there is no other mid-engined sports cars can serve so well as a cross-continental express. In corners, the R8 continues to display very well manner. This is a sports car combining mid-engined agility with the merit of 4-wheel-drive traction and confidence-inspiring understeer at the limit. It feels mostly rear-driven, but the 4-wheel traction acts as a safety net so that you can drive it very fast without worrying of losing control. The powerful brakes add to this reassuring manner.  Most
controls are lightweight and slick to operate. The steering is
responsive, precise and relaxing for its free of kickback. However, it
also filtered the messages from the front wheels and resulted in a numb
feeling. This is perhaps the biggest weakness of R8. Besides, the
clutch engagement can also be more progressive.However, the most important question is probably this one: can it beat 911 ? Very close. The R8 is the most agile / precise / entertaining machine ever came out from Ingolstadt. In many ways, it outperforms the Porsche, such as style, quality, comfort and refinement. But perfectionists will still prefer the 911's communicative steering and its ability to play throttle steer. These are the elements that separate a great car and a greatest car. However, with a production volume expected between 3500 and 4000 units annually, the Audi is certainly more exclusive than the 911. Unquestionably, it will be a hit. The next step could easily be a V10 version to rival 911 Turbo. But now Porsche is the largest share holder of Volkswagen group, will Mr. Wendelin Wiedeking and Dr. Piech allow it to hurt the 911 ? I doubt it. |
| The above report was last updated on 9 Mar 2007. All Rights Reserved. |