The R8 V10's track capabilities are well known, but just how well does the supercar do in everyday conditions.
A supercar wouldn’t be a supercar without a low-slung driving position, a steeply raked windscreen and all the controls that matter falling precisely within reach. The R8 V10 ticks all of these boxes, and does it with some style. But unlike a lot of supercars, these traits are accompanied by a genuine sense of quality and a generous level of trim and equipment. It blends some fairly obvious Audi parts – the MMI system, some switchgear and an excellent sat-nav system – without diluting the inherent drama that a supercar deserves. You also get a very effective air-con system and a top-quality stereo. Be in no doubt, the R8 feels like – and indeed is – a class act inside. If ever a supercar reflected its price in the style and quality of its cabin, this would be it.
No one buys a supercar for practical reasons. Yet, for its modus operandi of being a thrill machine, the R8 doesn’t do too badly. The boot in the bonnet is impressively deep and can take one decent-sized soft bag, and within the cabin there are numerous well-sized cubbyholes for odds and ends. In a hurry to get my head around the way this car drives, I realised I hadn’t taken a moment to soak in that exquisite exterior styling once again. I pull over and have
a walkaround. It’s been six years since the R8 first went on sale, and along with the new gearbox, Audi has thrown in a few styling tweaks for 2013 as well. Outside, there are new all-LED lamps, restyled exhaust pipes, a new valance at the back and a restyled grille at the front. Inside, there are a few more bits of aluminium trim and things such as sat-nav, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity have been promoted from optional to standard equipment.
There is, however, more to the 2013 R8 than a few visual tweaks and a new gearbox. Though all the previous range members remain, their ranks have grown by one – a new flagship, the 543bhp R8 Plus. It’s essentially a production version of the limited edition R8 GT with 25bhp more than the standard V10, bespoke suspension settings and carbon-ceramic brake discs. And while the car I’m driving is just as much at home on the road as on the track, the Plus has been given a harder, track-biased edge (see box).
Pegged at Rs 1.8 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi), this Audi is hilariously expensive. But then which supercar isn’t? In fact, if you compare it to a Lamborghini Gallardo (which has the same V10 under its hood), this car looks almost affordable. So let’s put that aside and see if we can answer the question we set out to earlier. Well, there’s no shortage of performance from the engine, there’s a lot of drama in the look, feel and sound of this thing, and it has a handling balance that’s deft enough to take on the very best from Italy. But it’s also a comfortable car, one that rides well and pampers you with creature comforts. It’s pretty practical too, and is really not one of those supercars that simply gives up when taken out of its element – and this has a lot to do with that superb new gearbox. So no, urban India is not the best place to own and use a supercar, but if you wanted to, the Audi R8 is one of the best there is.