AUDI R8 V10 PLUS FIRST TEST REVIEW

2017 Audi R8 First Drive

Audi’s parent, Volkswagen Automotive Group, has a problem on its hands. And this time it doesn’t involve diesel. See, I’ve been living with the all-new second-generation R8 for a week now, and aside from design, I can’t think of a reason you’d get a Lamborghini Huracán instead. Right there, that’s VW’s problem. The R8 V10 Plus is the mechanical, dizygotic twin of the Huracán. A generation ago, the Audi version made less power than the Lamborghini (though there was always the rumor that you could easily reflash the V-10 to make Lambo levels of grunt). These days, the top dog R8 makes exactly the same amounts of horsepower and torque, 602 hp and 413 lb-ft, respectively. Only thing is, the Audi’s base price is about $65,000 less than the Lambo’s. To put it in YouTube commenter speak, for that kinda scratch, “u cood have a R8 an Hellcat lolz.” Now, if y’all remember, I was pretty dang smitten with that there Huracán. And our buddy Randy Pobst declared it to be better than any Ferrari he’s ever driven. But man, I’m telling you, I think I like the R8 even more. I think. … How’s that for a setup?

 2017 AUDI R8 V10 PLUS FIRST TEST

Let’s start with design. I don’t like the front end. Taken as a standalone piece of sculpture, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with the double XL grille. But when that megamouth gets placed between the vertical vents found under the headlights, it’s too much. The face is nearly—dare I say it—Lexus-like. However, I happen to quite dig the rest of the exterior. When the world first saw the new R8, many people were quick to point out that the second-gen car wasn’t radical enough and/or that Audi should have kept the signature “side blades.” I completely disagree. I always thought the first-gen R8 looked stumpy and that the side blades were superfluous and covered up a dull side profile. Also, I’ve long maintained that the peak of the hood resembled a dolphin’s skull. On the new R8, the side profile reminds me of the awesome Auto Union Silver Arrows of the 1930s. Specifically the Type B “Rekordwagen,” and even a little like the monstrous Type C. All that said, the drop-dead gorgeous Huracán is about 12 times better-looking.

As for the interior, just like in the new A4, TT, and Q7, Audi’s reworked design is strong. The R8’s innards are stripped down compared to other supercars. Most of the buttons are scattered all over the flat-bottom steering wheel, though unlike in the Huracán, the turn signal lever is still on the stalk. Like in the other new Audis the star of the show is the virtual cockpit, a completely configurable TFT screen responsible for displaying essentially everything, save HVAC info. You quickly realize that your left thumb controls 95 percent of the car’s functionality (though the big MMI wheel is a redundant control). At first this seems daunting, but after five minutes you’ll have the controls figured out. Only took me 10. The small, black-glass-backed HVAC controls are simple yet elegant, like the rest of the interior.

Some stats you oughta know: First off, the R8 is bigger than the Huracán, but not by much. The Lambo’s wheelbase is 103.1 inches, whereas the R8’s is 104.3. Length is similarly off by about an inch, though the R8 is actually shorter overall (174.3 versus 175.6). The Audi is wider (76.4 inches versus 75.7), though a bit taller (48.8 versus 45.9). The functional difference in size is that the Audi has room for a set of golf clubs behind the seat and offers much more headroom. As for weight, it’s complicated. The Huracán we tested was a Euro-spec model that weighed 3,419 pounds. This here orange-ish R8 is also a Euro-spec model, and it clocks in at 3,653. However—and here’s the complication—our “long-term” 30-day Huracán was a U.S.-spec car and weighed 3,614 pounds. The R8 weighs 234 pounds more than the Huracán we tested. Does this extra carriage affect performance? Uh …

The AWD R8 V10 Plus thunders its way to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, making it the quickest naturally aspirated car we’ve ever tested (to 60 mph). The McLaren P1 matches that, the venerable Bugatti Veyron needed 2.7 seconds. To go quicker, you’ll need to pony up for a Porsche 918 or LaFerrari (each require 2.4 seconds). The R8 ties another Volkswagen Group all-star to 60 mph, the stupid-quick Porsche 911 Turbo S. The Huracan? A leisurely 2.8 seconds. Things change over the quarter mile. The R8 and the Huracán are tied across 1,320 feet: 10.6 seconds. For some more perspective, the 1,001-horsepower Veyron does the quarter mile in 10.4 seconds. However, the lighter Lamborghini is traveling at a higher speed at the end of the quarter: 132.8 mph versus 129.8 mph for the Audi. Still, 10.6 seconds in the quarter mile is tied for the quickest production car we’ve measured without forced induction or hybrid assistance.

 Handling? Glad you asked. Remember how I said this is a European-spec car? Well, turns out that Audi Magnetic Ride—the magnetorheological fluid-filled dampers from Delphi, just like on the Ferrari 488 GTB/Camaro SS—are not an option for the U.S. V10 Plus. This is insane because unlike the last V10 Plus, the new one doesn’t ride like a dump truck on a washboard. I found myself wondering if the ride was in fact better than a McLaren 650S. Also, look at the numbers: Max lateral acceleration is 1.01 g, and this V10 Plus’s figure-eight time is a way low 23.2 seconds. The lighter Huracán pulls a max lat load of 1.02 g and sprints around the figure eight more quickly, in 23.0 seconds. Same figure-eight time for the Turbo S, though the Porsche’s max lat is 1.04 g. However, our handling guru Kim Reynolds told me that because the R8 was so quick, it was hurting itself. He had to get on the brakes much earlier than ideal in order to make the corner. Good thing the brakes are humungous, optional carbon-ceramic Brembos (six-piston up front, four-piston rear) that are not only fade-averse but also haul the R8 to a stop from 60 mph in 103 feet. Huracán? 104 feet.

 But what is it like to drive? Addicting. I did something I haven’t done in many years: I live five minutes from the base of the famed Angeles Crest Highway, one of the world’s greatest driving roads. The Crest—as we locals call it—also happens to be connected to a few other roads that are even more fun. Naturally, when I get my greedy paws on a car worth pounding on, it’s easy for me to run up to the canyons and have a nice hour-long session. Pound the snot out of some car, and make it home for breakfast. But once is typically enough. You can guess where this is going. After staring at the R8 in my driveway early one morning, I thought, “You’d better go do it all over again.” Which I promptly did, and the second time proved to be even more fun than the first. Mostly because this time I had the traction control partially disabled and took full advantage of the fact that the R8 likes sending most of its power to the rear wheels under full-on acceleration. I should also mention that the R8 seems to have more sound insulation than the Huracán, even when you have the sport exhaust on. This is of course both good and bad, depending on the situation. When I craved more shrieking from the 40-valve, 5.2-liter V-10 and its 8,850-rpm redline, I lowered the windows.

To drop a little classic Vince Vaughn on you, the V10 Plus is money to drive. The Audi is beyond quick with catlike reflexes, sharp, crisp steering, and brakes for days. Furthermore, the dynamic steering is far and away the best adjustable steering I’ve ever experienced on an Audi and nearly as good as what Lamborghini was able to do with the Aventador Superveloce SV. Ah yes, this is the part in the story where I’m supposed to make some sort of grand pronouncement. Where I tell the world that conclusively, yes, the 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus is in fact better to drive than its Italian twin, the Huracán. Thing is, I can’t do that. Without having both cars on the same road/track, on the same day, at the same time, making such declarations is a fool’s errand. I can tell you that if I were shopping for a Huracán, I’d pop next door into the Audi dealership and set up a test drive. That in itself is an accomplishment. In terms of the R8’s closer competition, the Porsche Turbo S, McLaren 570S, and AMG GT S, well, we’ll just have to get them all together and see what’s what, won’t we? Until then, hell of a job, Audi. Hell of a job.

2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus (European Spec)
BASE PRICE	$190,000 (MT est)
PRICE AS TESTED	$225,000 (MT est)
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Mid-engine, AWD, 2-pass, 2-door coupe
ENGINE	5.2L/602-hp/413-lb-ft DOHC 40-valve V-10
TRANSMISSION	7-speed twin-clutch auto.
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,653 lb (42/58%)
WHEELBASE	104.3 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	174.3 x 76.4 x 48.8 in
0-60 MPH	2.6 sec
QUARTER MILE	10.6 sec @ 129.8 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	103 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	1.01 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	23.2 sec @ 0.92 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	13/25/17 mpg (MT est)
ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY	259/135 kW-hrs/100 miles (MT est)
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	1.17 lb/mile (MT est)