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The 2008 Audi R8. The ultimate execution of Audi engineering. Race inspired and derived from the Le Mans dominating R8 machine. Built from the ground up to assume its rightful position as the leader in innovation,  design, technology, and performance.

2008 Audi R8 Reviews:

Forbesautos Review the Audi R8 and gave out”Audi — a subsidiary of Volkswagen — has not released other details about how it will turn the Le Mans quattro into the R8, and what specifications the production car will have. Frankly, part of the reason for running a piece about the new vehicle is to revisit the glory of the showcar.”

Pros:    Engineering Perfection
Cons:    wish the V10 was available

Special Features & Interior Design

The R8 continues Audi’s tradition of originality in interior design, employing a cockpit-style theme that the company calls monoposto, an arc of controls that wraps around the driver in the style of a single-seat racing car. Aluminum is a prominent element of the R8’s creative surface treatments, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel is certainly unique. The car’s long wheelbase and roomy cabin allow room for tall drivers, and long doors ease access. Unusual for a high-end sports car, the R8 offers plenty of storage spaces and useful cupholders. Audi says there’s space behind the seats to store two golf bags. There’s also a small capacity (3.5-cubic-foot) front trunk.

Safety
The 2008 Audi R8 protects both occupants with seat-mounted side airbags and knee-protecting airbags. Antilock disc brakes, traction control and stability control are all standard.
Hardware

Like other Audis, the R8 offers all-wheel drive, which is standard equipment. But aside from its 4.2-liter V8 engine, which also powers the RS4 sedan, this is unlike any Audi now or ever.

The engine is mounted behind the cockpit, covered by a glass hatch for passersby to peer through with envy, À la the V10 in the Lamborghini Gallardo, the R8’s distant corporate cousin.

It feeds thrust — 420 horsepower, 317 pound-feet of torque — primarily to the rear wheels, and makes wonderfully satisfying V8 noises while doing so.

Audi offers two transaxles for the R8: a six-speed manual (standard) and a six-speed automatic (R-tronic) with steering wheel paddles for manual shifting. Regardless of choice, the R8 will sprint to 60 m.p.h. in just over 4 seconds.

I prefer the manual transmission because it’s quick and precise, the aluminum shift gate is way cool and the R-tronic costs $9,000.

And speaking of Gallardo similarities, the R8 is also noteworthy for exceptional chassis rigidity, the prerequisite that separates the agile from the ordinary.

You might conclude from all this that the Audi is a slightly tamer — and much less expensive — version of the Lambo, since Lamborghini is, after all, an Audi subsidiary.

But according to Audi’s development engineers, that conclusion would be wrong. For all their mid-engine design similarity, the R8 and the Gallardo share almost no structural elements and not a scrap of sheet metal.

At a glance
Model: Audi R8 Transmission: Six-speed manual or R tronic sequential Price: £76,825 (manual) to £82,025 Engine: Mid-mounted 4.2-litre V8 FSI petrol, delivering 420PS at 7,800rpm Torque: 430Nm from 4,500 to 6,000rpm Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds; 0-124mph in 14.9 seconds Top speed: 187mph Economy: 19.8mpg on combined cycle C02 emissions: 349 g/km First UK deliveries: July

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