12 May 08
Audi R8
4car rating: 4 stars
Price: from £78,195
For: Stunning looks, hugely driveable, performance.
Against: Visibility, not hugely involving, limited boot space.
There was a lot of hoo haa that came with the Audi R8 when it made its entrance on the British car market.
Why? Well, the Porsche 911 is the driver's choice, so it represented heresy if you even thought the R8 could topple the legendary Porker that is so successful it's now in its sixth generation.
Then people got behind the wheel of the R8 and their heads started to turn.
Now you could argue about this one until there's a Liberal Democrat government, but the 'R8 vs 911 - which is better?' debate is immaterial - the R8 is a super supercar.
It's entirely manageable to drive: it's fast, beautifully packaged and when you drive up the street, you'll still get admiring looks... from everyone.
So the view out is a bit restricted, as is luggage space, but y'know, who cares? The R8's 4.2-litre petrol engine will take you from 0-60mph in just 4.6 seconds with a noise that'll keep you smiling from ear to ear. If you are feeling saucy, you might like to take it up to its top speed of 187mph too, but you'll have to be in Germany.
It's nice inside - perhaps a little Audi TT-ish, but turnaround and look at the engine behind you and you'll never feel shortchanged. Good value at £78k and, you never know, there might be a monster diesel R8 along later.
