The original Audi R8 is a vehicle that made supercars more accessible. Here was a high-performance exotic vehicle with German dependability that could be driven every day. Depending on who you ask, that has long been the car’s greatest asset or flaw. Although it is a living supercar that is equally at home in slow moving traffic as it is at an apex, its lack of drama has led some detractors (mainly Ferrari and Lamborghini owners) to label it a snooze.
After the current generation, it was claimed that this stodgy supercar would be discontinued, but the head of the R8 program was eager to dispel that particular myth and confirm that there will in fact be another generation of R8.
If that is the case, the R8 Spyder V10 Performance I’m holding is a farewell to the styling and technology of the time. Swan sounds must undoubtedly be appreciated and enjoyed in their native environment. Santa Barbara’s cafés, beaches, and neighboring canyon roads provided the ideal setting for getting to know the vehicle and determining whether a “everyday supercar” actually merits another generation in the increasingly saturated supercar market.
More About Audi R8 2020
The R8’s flanks have gradually rounded out and grown more angular with time. A rounded organic design that was once severely crumpled into the shape of an origami sports car is now covered in grills, intakes, vents, and “character lines” on every panel and plane. Not because the new automobile is ugly—far from it. Not at all. But unlike the original automobile, its present attractiveness is considerably more “in style.”
Despite the variations in appearance, the car’s real dimensions have hardly changed in 14 years on the market. The breadth has increased by an inch although the length and height have essentially not changed since the first-generation automobile. The new vehicle has gained an additional 298 pounds over the course of the generations, though. It seems impossible to avoid getting chubby as we age.
Weight inevitably leads to dynamic weaknesses, at least in a logically-run environment. But technology follows its own logic, and in this case it can hide the extra weight like the nicest pair of spanx in the world. The “entry level” R8 comes with magnetic shocks, but the Performance model I’m driving swaps those out for a fixed coil-over sports suspension that excels at disguising the weight of the current R8. Even yet, there is a small body roll when you force this German supercar through tight turns at speeds beyond the speed limit.
Nevertheless, I continued to race around the canyons above Santa Barbara to test the Spyder’s limitations, and after a full day of late braking, narrow turns, and launch control starts, I’m happy to report that I never did. Nowhere near.
The boundaries of the R8 Performance are so high that you’ll only find them on a public road if you’ve made a terrible mistake. I’m not a professional driver, but then then, neither are you. By choosing the Spyder over the Coupe variant, you also gain nothing in terms of dynamics. Given this, you might as well take advantage of the open-enormous top’s headroom and the immediate raspy exhaust noise.
Despite all of this power, I can assure you that the 2020 R8 is not suited for canyon carving. Although it can certainly accelerate you up and down mountain passes, the Audi never seems to be enjoying or excited to be doing so. The car subjectively feels like it is tolerating your enthusiasm rather than encouraging it, despite a 602hp V10 monster directly behind your seat dispensing 402lb-ft of torque at every corner exit.
On these little roads, though, the 2020 R8 plays up to its docile image until you slow down to around 60 mph. The R8’s sweet spot can be found if you drive it like a (very speedy) Audi A3. You don’t usually shoot down canyons or leap from lights, aren’t you right? The R8 is aware of this, and its strength is zipping around your neighborhood at a rapid but relaxed pace.
Compared to some other high-end cars, daily life with the Audi will be less of a digital tech-fest. The 2020 R8 only has the driver’s digital instrument panel to display features like navigation and vehicle settings. It does not include a central touch screen, an advanced temperature control system, or a heads-up display. The driving experience of the driver is clearly at the center of the R8. Second- or third-class luxury touches are acceptable. This is yet another polarizing feature of the vehicle.
The “S tronic” dual-clutch transmission is one feature that puts the driver first while also being opulent. Instantaneous gear changes are made by this seven-speed gearbox, which also has a few high-tech surprises. In addition to the launch control already described (which is very horrifying), there is also an option to automatically shift down to the lowest gear appropriate for your current speed.
Holding down the left shift paddle allows me to shift down two, three, or even four gears while applying forceful braking into a tight turn. This positions me to be in the engine’s power band when I finish braking and resume acceleration at the curve exit. It is thrilling to timing it correctly, but less so when you don’t.
Naturally, all of that applies when the transmission is in manual mode. The gear shifts may not be noticeable while the vehicle is in full automatic. However, after switching from mashed-pedal passing to moderate throttle cruising, I did have a strange behavior. The transmission changes into an appropriate lower gear after a non-exaggerated one full second after you stomp the pedal down. At that time, the R8 forcefully pulled me back into my seat as it accelerated to triple-digit speeds.
This abrupt stoppage in acceleration is startling at first, bothersome after that, and completely unexpected from the otherwise well-trained and composed R8. They learned from the Audi team that created the vehicle that this pause was typical of all dual-clutch transmissions.
The transmission cannot simply move from seventh to fifth gear since they are on the same shaft because even gear numbers are on one transmission shaft and odd gear numbers are on another.
Instead, it should engage sixth gear, then shift to fifth and lock that gear. It takes one agonizingly long second to complete this process. All of this can be prevented by shifting into manual mode and lowering the gears manually before an overtaking maneuver.
After driving the 2020 R8 Performance Spyder all around Santa Barbara’s canyons and city streets for a day, I’ve come to the conclusion that the R8 is, in fact, an everyday car—for both good and bad reasons. Here is a vehicle that is incredibly capable but would rather not flaunt it. It will be happy to accompany you on a supermarket run around the neighborhood. It won’t rebel if you drive it aggressively. Sticking the new R8 in manual, turning off the very loud exhaust, and driving with the top down are the keys to making it perform well. You will like every second of it.
You can also check Kia Soul GT-Line 2020 Review, Price, And All You Need To Know About This Product
[…] You can also check Audi R8 2020 Review, Price, And Other Things You Need To Know About This Product […]