The marketing gurus at Audi seem to be on a
war footing, continuously flooding the market with model upgrades, facelifts
and altogether new ones. Apart from keeping auto journos like yours truly very
busy, they are marching towards their target to clinch the prestigious title of
the 'number one luxury car manufacturer of the world'. And while they are at
it, they also try to induce bigger profits for the rapidly growing German car
brand.
As if on cue, rolls in the latest iteration
of the R8, the sporty spearhead of Audi's global model line-up, straight on our
shores. Offered in both Coupe and Spyder body styles and two engine options,
the V8 is capable of 436 PS and 430 Nm and the V10 motor that churns out
awe-inspiring 532.28 PS maximum power and 530 Nm of peak torque at 6,500
revolutions per minute. Both engines now come mated to a new dual-clutch
seven-speed S tronic gearbox replacing the single clutch R tronic used earlier.
The dual-clutch auto-box puts power on to the road via the four-wheel drive
quattro system with a rear-axle bias, with an axle load distribution of roughly
43:57, which is ideal for a mid-engined sports car. Even the engine is mounted
low, giving the R8 a very low centre of gravity.
Offering
a level of refinement, ride quality and aesthetic charm of a luxury contender,
the Audi R8 V10 sets a benchmark rivals can’t currently match
We test-drove the latter, with enough fire
power produced by its 10 cylinders to shatter every vehicle we came across on
the road. Even as I write this report I am still reeling under the experience.
Just to give a perspective, most respectable mid-size sedans take close to
13seconds for the 0-100 km/h sprint. The R8 V10, however, reaches 200 km/h in
the same time! Employing the lightning fast S tronic gear shifts, our best zero
to 100 km/h run was recorded at just 4.04 seconds, making it the fastest car we
have tested in India so far.
You
are greeted with top-notch material and the benchmark Audi craftsmanship
The experience when the R8 is launched is
difficult to describe in words, as it won't do justice to the phenomenon.
Engaging the 'Sports' mode, I tap the all-chrome race-ear-like gear stick to
the manual mode and let the pedal meet the metal. Instantly, my body is thrust
into the fine nappa leather seat and I exhale with the impact, while my head
lashes back into the headrest. Realising the V10's potential I try to be more
focused and regain control of the situation, relishing the experience at the
same time. As if in slow-mo, like in the Fast & Furious, all that is
visible outside the windows is a hazy blur blazing past in the opposite
direction. By the time I look at the instrument console, the speedo needle is
already pointing at the 200 km/h mark and has the potential to reach a top
speed of 300 km/h.
Though
the speedo shows a max of 350 km/h, we can vouch for a top whack of 300 km/h
On full clip the drive becomes quite
demanding on the body of rice and curry eating individuals like me, as a lot of
G-force is generated while accelerating and braking. Imagine travelling at 100
km/h and suddenly coming to a standstill in just 2.68 seconds. Yes, the R8
comes with incredibly powerful brakes with a new wave design to reduce weight
and offer good feel.
Lord
be praised for the all-chrome race-car-like gear stick
As if following Atkins weight loss
programme, the updated R8 has lost roughly 50 kg, thanks to weight-saving
achieved from a lighter set of alloy. Even the front splitter and the rear
diffuser contribute to weight reduction along with the new FRP bucket seats. It
even boasts of a light and stiff aluminium Audi Space Frame that weighs just
210 kg, which is roughly 40 per cent less than a similar steel construction.
However, the most important factor is the forged aluminium wishbone, which
makes the suspension lighter and reduces the un-sprung weight and, in turn,
improves the handling to a great extent.
