Houston Cars

The Audi R8 is the latest and greatest from our friends over in Germany. The R8 will be Audi’s first real supercar - but it’s better than that. It’s a supercar that you can drive every day, and not really have to worry too much about it. I say that lightly, because Audi’s aren’t known for their bulletproof reliability. But Audi did design the R8 with the intention of it’s lucky owners using it the way they would a Porsche 911 - an everyday supercar.

I’m not normally a huge Audi fan myself - generally I think they are overpriced Volkswagens that break down far too much, and cost far too much to repair. But in the case of the Audi R8, I have to take exception. First of all, this is a beautiful car - it looks fast, and it looks exotic. And of course there is that fantastic V8 under the rear hatch; it’s hard to argue with 420 HP on any car, even an Audi. For what you get, the MSRP is about right - the R8 starts at $109,000. Time to get in line.

Audi A8 Specs

• 420 HP 4.2 liter V8
• 317 ft-lbs of torque
• Mid-engine design
• 6 speed manual transmission
• Quattro All wheel drive
• Seating for 2
• Dry-sump lubrication system
• MSRP : $109,000

Audi R8 Reviews

TTAC reviews the Audi R8 and has this to say - ‘On the open road, the R8 is a serene machine. Despite low gearing, road and engine noise levels are subdued enough for the daily drudge. My tester was afflicted with a few squeaks and rattles; an indication of early build problems or journalists’ ability to abuse Audi’s horsepitality. Anyway, over any road surface, the R8’s ride quality is superb, even without the optional ‘Audi magnetic ride’ adaptive damper system.’