The prevalence of new energy technologies coupled with the tightening of emission policies has made large-displacement engines drift away from us, and as the most mainstream naturally aspirated engines of internal combustion engines, the sense of existence seems to be slowly surpassed by turbocharging. I remember the day I picked up the car, when I walked to the Audi Sport-Audi R8 of the 5.2L V10, I had an indescribable sense of excitement in my heart, took the key, sat in the low cockpit, pressed the bright red start button, accompanied by a tiger-like "roar"...
This may really be the last large-displacement self-priming Audi R8. From the perspective of Audi's development plan, the R8 is likely to be replaced by an electric model such as the RS e-tron GT, and even overseas media have disclosed that the new R8 will be equipped with a plug-in hybrid system composed of a 4.0T V8 twin-turbo engine + motor. In any case, the final version of the R8 (the rear-drive version of the R8 GT), which will be released in the autumn, also draws a perfect end to Audi's self-absorbing masterpiece.
Retaining the classic body silhouette and evolving in the details, I believe that the aggressive design of the current R8 will continue to exist as a textbook for the next decade. The slashing axe-like front face line is exchanged for the impact of the wild bull, and the two sides and the inner side of the net hide large loose water tanks, which can also cool the four-wheel drive system.
Thanks to the carbon fiber and aluminum covering, the weight of the R8 is controlled at 1.66 tons, and with the transmission layout of the mid-mounted four-wheel drive, this is definitely a car full of driving desires - except for the following two cases! One is through the speed bump, the strong bumps and tough seats will bring about a tremor of the internal organs, and the other is through the steep slope or pullover, you need to be careful of the full carbon fiber edge, a casual small bump, a Hermès bag may be gone.
Audi's top lighting technology is presented one by one in the R8, the proud laser headlights will naturally not be absent, the luminous efficiency is high, the irradiation distance is long, but the cost is somewhat expensive; the front and rear wheels are equipped with carbon ceramic ventilation disc brakes, the tire sizes are 245/30 R20, the rear 305/30 R20, and the tire brand is michelin PS4S series, which can meet the needs of the track and balance the daily road conditions.
With a low, sharp body stance and a luxurious Ascari blue livery, I thought the R8 would have a high comeback rate on the road. But from the actual performance, this car has almost no attraction for female passers-by, but has captured the extremely high attention of many male passers-by, perhaps for the former, this is an "Audi", but for the latter, the thick sound wave can firmly attract their ears as early as 100 meters away.
The thick round exhaust pipe is exaggerated enough to stuff a fist, the moment of activation is like thunder, the rear spoiler is made of carbon fiber composite material, and the fixed design also brings a stronger fighting atmosphere. After nightfall, the unique matte paint surface allows this R8 to transform into a "black samurai", allowing the light and shadow on the street to move freely in front of and behind the car...
Omit the central control screen and sunroof, there is no space in the car to even prepare a down jacket for you, maybe this is the trouble of rich people. The interior style of the R8 does not seem to be as combative or pompous as in the sports car of the same class, the low-key design shifts the visual focus to the full LCD instrument, and the use of Alcantara and carbon fiber materials is just right, which seems to deliberately hide its own value of more than two million.
The red start button on the right side of the steering wheel teases the driver's nerves like a demon's eye, and the exhaust sound wave and driving mode also support one-touch adjustment. However, the manual adjustment of the steering wheel is a bit unexpected, and the presence of the two paddle shifters in the rear is not strong, the feel is crisp, the stroke is short, and there is even a feeling of Audi A3 when used. In addition, the industrial-inspired physical buttons are placed in the center of the interior, which will not look luxurious, but it will be exquisite enough.
Perhaps overwhelmed by the sound of the V10 engine, the R8's Bang & Olufsen sound seems to be "overhead" most of the time, with huge exhaust sounds and tire noise almost completely covering the music, and can only be enjoyed when parked.
The R8 is equipped with a longitudinal 5.2L V10 naturally aspirated engine with a maximum power of 620 hp and a maximum torque of 570 Nm, a 7-speed S Tronic transmission and a four-wheel drive system, and an acceleration time of only 3.1 seconds from 0-100km/h, which is almost the same as that of the 2021 Huracán STO.
When the modified car is still trying to "cover up the ugliness", the Audi R8 has already written this low posture into the bone marrow, and the extremely low body height not only brings the driving feeling of flying on the ground, but also allows you to have a wonderful illusion of turning on the high beam of the oncoming car. Nevertheless, the R8 still has a good walking attribute, auto mode, the 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission is not impatient, the engine will perform the upshift operation when it is less than 2000rpm, when the speed has just come to 35km/h, the gearbox has been hung into the 5th gear, as long as you are not nitpicking, the R8's smoothness is enough to satisfy.
As Audi's top sports car, it is not difficult to highlight its value of more than 2 million in details. Chassis tuning is biased towards racing style, comfort mode does not bring the soft damping as imagined, strong suspension is only for the clear restoration of every detail on the road, from the road joints to the small potholes, unreservedly and quickly through the tire - suspension - body - seat - hip sequence to the driver's body, excellent sense of communication brings the same fun as driving a large kart.
On the other hand, the word "sideways" does not appear to appear in the R8 dictionary. The conventional parallel action seems to lose the longitudinal force, the ups and downs of mountain driving can be easily resolved, and each rapid attack will only further amplify the horizontal G value, but the body posture is still as stable as a rock, and the operation experience of the clouds and flowing water brings a sense of tension beyond expectations. Don't be surprised, R8 is the ability to read your "careful thoughts".
Compared with BMW's linear and calm steering feel, Audi's steering style is somewhat "weird", as if it will assist the driver to slowly exert force when entering the corner, so as to achieve a sharper feeling of entering the corner. When driving the track, the precise pointing is accompanied by the rapid response of the rear, you will feel as if this R8 is directly sucked into the bend, 4 Michelin PS4S tires bring the track car-like grip performance, you need to quickly look away, because the 620 horsepower power reserve will reach the end of the long straight line in an instant, even if the carbon brake disc has excellent durability and braking power, but as long as the latest brake point is missed, it is impossible to avoid the end of the wall.
So, what is the concept of 620 horsepower? A strong feeling of pushing your back will push you into the seat in a matter of milliseconds, accompanied by an involuntary scream and a strong nervous tension, and the scenery on both sides will gradually blur, as if you are in a time tunnel, and a sense of disorientation will also come to mind...
But please be sober! The gearbox has been downgraded several times, the engine speed has approached the end of the dial of 10,000 rpm, and the power gushing out will quickly push the speed to the ultra-high speed range of 200km/h, although the unabated rear-end acceleration has made you feel awe, but the strong sense of excitement still makes you can't bear to lift your right foot when pressing down for a long time. What's more, there is also the rear V10 engine unobstructed shocking sound effects surrounded it, and the unique high-pitched sound under the high rev speed brings a racing-like scream, which is definitely a good helper for secreting adrenaline.
Although the paddle shifter feels inferior, the response speed is almost the same as the Porsche PDK, and the manual mode will not force the gear upshift, you can use the speed fully, the hand knife falls with a strong shift impact, and the bottomless acceleration will have a sense of "people running in front, soul chasing behind". However, for the track of Beijing Kaixuan, the proportion of continuous S-bends is quite large, and drivers need to pay more attention to gearing and throttle opening to avoid excessive and rapid center of gravity shifts that adversely affect the lap speed.
epilogue
Audi Sport - Audi R8
This is a flagship sports car with a manufacturer's guidance price of up to 2.3238 million yuan, it has an approachable transportation attribute, but also can be in the original posture in the track to enjoy, but the value of 620 horsepower makes it difficult to really find its limits, and the V10 self-priming engine has become more and more precious with the passage of time. But the question is, R8 over 2.3 million selling price can almost buy 911 Turbo S, and adding 200,000 budget can buy the mid-rear drive Huracán EVO RWD, if it is you, what choice will you make? See you in the comments section!