This clean revving V8 grumbles initially, but the woofle transforms into a rising scream as you approach the red-line! musical!
*cabin shot courtesy of Audi media
no race buckets inside the R8, but the seats are snug and comfy; it's certainly much easier to taller (and fatter) drivers to get in and out of the car than true exotics. some of the plasticky bits aren't so happening though.
there's quite a decent amount of space, especially on the 'parcel shelf' behind the seats (2 full-sized golfbags can be squeezed in!). The cabin exudes a polished air, with lots of billeted metal bits cladding surfaces that will see the most human operation, like gear-knob and climate controls. the suede roof lining feels great too! we found ourselves stroking it while waiting in traffic!
important controls here, including the (all-important) button to deploy the boot-lid spoiler! the R8 also features the brand's AMR (Audi Magnetic Ride, like on the higher-specc'd TTs), which adapt to the driver's style and road condition within milliseconds. the ride was firm and very well-controlled. despite its girth, the R8 was also surprisingly easy to manoeuvre around.
'Sport' sharpens up the transmission (and throttle?) response to deliver even more brutally quick gear-shifts for maximum acceleration. Occasionally in traffic, the gearbox had a tendency to drop into 'N', but a chime lets you know when this happens.
It will take you from standstill to a license-losing 200km/h in 14.9 seconds. The century sprint is dispatched in 4.6 seconds and the R tronic's launch control certainly makes hitting that time and time again a cinch!
the brakes are stupendously strong and are perfect for really hardcore driving. unfortunately, this comes at a price; it's infuriatingly difficult to modulate smoothly in the thick of start-stop town traffic, as is the trigger-happy gas pedal (particularly in Sport). Make no mistake, this is a 'manual', which means the car can roll back on a slope!
the gear-shifts too, so explosively quick during fast and furious driving, can take some getting used to in town. there's a fully automatic mode but the key to swift and smooth progress seems to be easing-off a tad from the gas pedal during gear-changes.
The R8's quattro experience isnt merely an 'understeer affair' either. tuned to achieve optimum balance for a mid-engine layout, the R8 is remarkably agile and can be driven hard confidently.
