2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus: First impressions

A supercar and an empty airfield usually sound mayhem for manufacturers. It means lots of ‘launches’, high speed runs and few sets of worn out tyres which, understandably is a concern. But Audi India did just that, inviting a whole bunch of journalists to experience its most powerful car, the second generation R8 V10 Plus. When the invite came in to experience the all-new R8 at a private air strip in Bangalore, it didn’t take me time to pull rank and head there myself. The fact that we would get limited seat time was a given, but that was barely a hindrance. To make matters interesting Audi had also lined up its entire range of cars apart from the new R8, including all sedans, sportscars and SUVs. Time to hit the runway and the loud pedal then!

But before the big one, we thought of ‘acclimatizing’ ourselves in the other Audis. So after a brief drive in the sedans, I went into the experience the abilities of Audi’s SUVs, the Q3, Q5 and the new Q7 by taking them off-road on a specially designed course. And boy was it fun! Despite the luxury they offer, the SUVs are indeed capable, and it’s easy to see why the Q3, Q5 and Q7 are all doing well in the Indian market. 

And then it was time to have a go in the sportscars – I chose the S5 first and then the RS6 Avant, and I’ve got to say that while the S5 was a lot of fun with its ease of driving and accessible performance, it was the RS6 Avant that was hugely entertaining. It’s a lovely car to drive, and in fact a family sportscar is what I would like to call it with its space, comfort and of course that lovely V8 motor that pumps out a massive 552PS of power! 

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Despite the entire range of Audis at our disposal it was the R8 that was the cynosure of all eyes. Of course, we’d already seen the car at the 2016 Auto Expo, where the new R8 made its first appearance in India. A lot sharper looking, promising to be more focused than before and packing in a lot more ammo thanks to the 5.2-litre V10 motor it shares with the Lamborghini Huracan, which offers 610PS of power and 560Nm of torque. A lot for a ‘people’s supercar’, no? Yes, this time around the R8 ain’t playing catch-up to the smaller Lambo, and is a lot more aggressive than before. 

And the aggression is visible from end to end. Be it the sharp design of the laser headlights and large hexagonal grille upfront, the carbon fibre side blade or the slightly familiar yet sexier looking rear with a full carbon fibre spoiler, sleek looking tail lights, quad pipes and rear diffuser, the aggression is in your face. Oh, and did I mention Virat Kohli was at hand as well? The lad made quite an entry onto the scene, riding shotgun with Audi India top boss Joe King in the new R8. He’s owned a few Audis including the R8 LMX and was fresh from his exploits in the previous night’s IPL match, and seemed raring to have a go in the new R8. 

And so were we journalists. A little presentation helped us learn more about the car before we could thrust ourselves into the seatback of its moulded seats. I for one was also keen on finding out something else. Fresh from having sampled the Huracan Spyder powered by the same motor, I was keen on seeing how the R8 felt after the Lambo. They’re a rarity, these big bore, naturally aspirated engines, as most new gen sportscars are getting them artificial lungs now. The R8 stays away from that clan thankfully, and that’s something we purists are happy about. 

Of course, the car’s got a lot more tech under the skin now, the cabin has been stripped bare and the engine comes mated to the 7-speed dual-clutch S-TRONIC transmission. It’s a beauty, that gearbox, but one that had sounded the death knell for the last gen R8’s gorgeous gated-shifter manual. I miss it. What I found interesting though is that the new R8 shares 50 percent of its parts with the R8 LMS – Audi’s challenger in GT Racing globally. Now that’s something, no? Sharing half your car with some of the top racers in the world! On the other hand, Audi has even given the new R8 ‘cylinder-on-demand’ that will shut off one bank of cylinder in the ‘V’ so the car offers better efficiency each time you are not putting your right foot down. 

What’s more, the new R8 gets Audi’s Drive Select including a performance mode apart from dry, wet and snow modes. Then there’s the Audi Virtual Cockpit, which is a fully-digital 12.3 inch TFT screen behind the wheel instead of regular ‘clocks’. You can even tinker around with the settings to see what you like, which in my case is the large tachometer with a digital readout in the centre for the speed. There’s a whole lot of driver-centric settings as well, the controls for most of which sit on the steering wheel. I particularly liked the interiors for their bare look, devoid of everything that’s not needed when going fast. 

Time to get going then. A press of the start button had the V10 motor roar to life, announcing it was show time. I had Rayomand Banajee, an old friend and one of India’s finest drivers and driver coaches when it comes to racing sing out the instructions to me before I took off. He had the car setup in Performance mode, with launch control activated. The V10 sound as they say, was pure music to the ears and as I stomped on the brake pedal whilst flooring the loud one I knew the 610 horses behind me were straining at the leash. A nod from Rayomand and his voice crackling on the radio in the car told me I was good to go. As I took my foot off the brake pedal, the R8 lurched forward angrily. 

Quite some take off this, I said to myself. The transmission swapping ratios on its own right at the redline made for some engaging action, and I let it continue doing the same rather than intervene by using the paddle shifters. The R8 built up speeds very quickly and very aggressively. It made its best effort to thrust me into the seatback, while I held the steering wheel with a vice-like grip. Audi is claiming the new R8 will hit the proverbial ton in a mere 3.2 seconds, and I take their word for it. The new R8 felt bloody quick, and before I could realise I was speeding down the runway at over 200kmph. 250kmph was crossed on the speedo, but there still was some distance between me and the braking marker which egged me to keep my right foot planted down. 

Obviously, getting anywhere close to the car’s claimed 330kmph top speed wasn’t even remotely possible though. As I crossed the marker I started braking, quickly glancing at the speedo to see 262kmph. What a rush! I’ve driven some faster and more powerful supercars, at full-fledged racetracks even, but nothing compares to piloting a supercar down an empty runway. “I could do this all day” I muttered to myself as I took off my seatbelt to let my co-passenger get behind the wheel. 

The drive was too short to be fun, but satiating indeed. The new R8 has a lot going for it, especially the fact that putting all that power down is extremely easy thanks to Quattro. When I launched it, the car took off from standstill like a bullet, without any fuss or the revving bogging down or the wheels spinning up. That’s the beauty of the R8 – it makes driving it fast seem like cakewalk. To put it into perspective, the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder with the same engine and performance felt more intimidating. The R8 on the other hand felt a lot more accessible, friendlier and easier to drive. Too short a fling my mind said as I glanced at the car one last time before heading out. Until next time then…