The R8 cabin is as luxurious as you would expect from a
high-end Audi, and yet it does not feel pretentious. The navigation leaves
a bit to be desired, however. Overall, the 2014 R8 is a solid step forward
from an already decorated machine.
The biggest updates for the 2014 Audi R8 come in the form of
the 7-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission, which replaces the R-Tronic
single clutch gearbox. The biggest fault with the 2012 R8 was the
R-Tronic's snappy and abrupt shifting. The S-Tronic cures all the
deficiencies of old. And with the addition of launch control, the R8 is a
contender to dust off any Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz SL AMG, Nissan GT-R and
frankly any other sports/supercar you can dream up.
The 2014 Audi R8 is offered as either a coupe or
convertible, with V8 or V10 power. All R8s are mid-engine with the Quattro
permanent all-wheel-drive system.
The Audi R8 4.2 quattro Coupe comes with a 430-hp V8 and the
standard 6-speed manual gearbox. Leather seats, climate control,
tilt-telescoping flat-bottom multifunction steering wheel, AM/FM/CD/MP3/Sirius
XM stereo, Bluetooth, USB, cruise control, trip computer, bi-Xenon headlamps
and 18-inch alloy wheels are standard.
The R8 4.2 quattro Spyder is equipped much like the Coupe,
with the addition of a hydraulic soft top (offered in black, brown or red) and
takes 19-seconds to open at speeds of up to 30 mph.
Options include the S-Tronic dual clutch transmission,
10-way power seats, Audi magnetic ride shocks, Nappa leather, carbon ceramic
brakes, extended leather package, convenience package with rearview camera,
auto-dimming heated folding outside mirrors, navigation, alternate wheel
styles/finishes, metallic paint, 465-watt 12-speaker Bang & Olufson sound
system, Alcantara headliner, piano black cabin trim, carbon fiber trim,
illuminated door sills and metallic paints.
The Audi R8 5.2 quattro Coupe comes with the 525-hp V10
engine, Nappa leather, LED headlights, Bang & Olufson sound system,
navigation and rearview camera.
The Audi R8 quattro Spyder includes everything from both the
V8 and V10 Coupe and of course the hydraulic soft top.
Options for the 5.2 V10 include the enhanced leather
package, S-Tronic gearbox, cosmetic upgrades of the V8, carbon fiber, piano
black, alternate colors/finishes, headliner and door sills.
The Audi R8 quattro 5.2 Plus Coupe comes with the massaged
V10 engine producing 550 hp. It comes with everything from the V8 and V10,
including all the options. No Spyder is offered in the Plus.
Safety features that come standard include frontal airbags,
head/chest side-impact airbags, knee airbags, pop-up roll bars on Spyder,
electronic stability control and all-wheel drive. Rearview camera is an
optional device that improves safety.
Little has changed aesthetically with the R8 for
2014. And that's not a bad thing. After all, it was captivatingly
beautiful from the moment it hit US shores around five years ago. Changes
(especially with regards to the exterior) have remained minimal.
The R8 appears wide and low with a hunkered down
stance. Sharp lines frame sculpturally arched surfaces and a wrap-around
contour visually connect the front, wheel wells, the flank and the rear of the
R8. With the location of the R8's mid engine, it pushes the whole cabin
slightly further forward. With the Coupe, the vertical air intakes, named
the sideblades, can be ordered in many colors (including carbon fiber) and,
again, indicate the position of the engine. The right sideblade also
includes the aluminum gas cap. Rather than the sideblades, the Spyder
displays large air intakes sculptured out of the flanks.
At the front of the car, the grille is minutely adjusted
with tapered top corners and is finished in a high-gloss black. In the V10
models the struts are adorned with chrome strips. The bumper has also been
tweaked fractionally, but we have a hard time distinguishing where. An
optional carbon fiber front splitter (standard on the new V10) is also
available and the mirrors on the R8 V10 are housed in carbon fiber.
All versions of the 2014 R8 now come standard with LED
headlights. The headlights also receive static-turning lights. On all
Coupe models the engine sits below a clear window, allowing a view of the
German craftsmanship. Moving to the rear of the car, the all-LED
taillights now boast a dynamic turn signal (in much the same way as the 2013
Mustang does). The directional sequence is created by 30 LED lights
activating every 150 milliseconds, making the turn signal more intuitive, and
complementing the new Audi headlamps. Both the head- and taillights are
really the only major visible difference compared to the 2012
R8.
Regardless, the R8 looks like a supercar, which isn't something you
can say about the GT-R and 911, which appear more sport than super.
The spoiler on the R8 extends automatically at 62
mph. A large diffuser is situated underneath and is available in carbon
fiber (standard on the V10). The exhaust system terminates in two round,
chrome plated tail pipes (black on the V10 Plus) that produce the most intense,
mystical music one could ever ask for. Both Coupe and Spyder bring
onlookers to their knees, but for our money, the Spyder evokes an even greater
level of emotion.
The R8 Spyder comes with the aforementioned 19-second
fabric-folding roof, available in black, brown or red. The Spyder does not
receive the glass engine-viewing window, replaced by engine cooling vents that
run down behind the headrest. It comes adorned with an electrically lifted
rear window (with defrost). This can be opened even when the top is up,
allowing drivers situated in colder climates to hear the mesmerizing exhaust
note without losing the tip of their nose to frost bite. The folding roof
does eliminate 3.1 cubic feet of storage behind the two interior seats,
however, making the only useable space the 3.5 cubic feet storage compartment
situated in the front trunk.
The cabin in the Audi R8 is remarkably
un-supercar-like. That isn't to say it is bad. Far from it, in
fact. It maintains an unpretentious demeanor, not out of place in a sports
sedan. Creature comforts are slightly fewer, of course, but in general it
is familiar, comfortable and a pleasing place to be for long expeditions.
Seats are well bolstered and, on the power-adjusted options,
support can be adjusted electronically to meet every individual's
requirements. They are available framed in leather with Alcantara centers,
or upholstered in full leather. Spyders even have treated leather to keep
them cool in hot, sunny conditions. Headroom is good and a 6-foot plus
driver would have little comfort issues in the R8.
Manual tilt/telescoping steering column helps find the
correct driving position, and visibility is vast out of the front windscreen,
but the C-pillar does cause a large blind spot, meaning additional caution must
be taken at intersections. View out of the rear is reasonable on the Coupe
but tougher on the Spyder. The optional rearview camera is a huge help
when reversing, making its value well worth digging deep into darkest depths of
your wallet.
Aluminum style cabin trim is standard and upgrades include carbon
fiber and piano black. The most distinguishing feature is the monoposto: a
large arc that encircles the driver's area of the cockpit. It starts in
the door and ends in the center tunnel. All the instruments are well
situated and easily visible.
Dials on the center console are in short demand and with
that, operating the optional navigation can be clumsy and difficult at
first. Thankfully, a proper handbrake is offered, not the electric
handbrake button many manufacturers are now adopting.
The manual gearbox has a cool vintage-looking slotted metal
gate, and the S-Tronic displays enlarged aluminum paddles on the
wheel. Both gearboxes provide a beautifully crafted brushed aluminum
gearlever. The S-Tronic can also entertain gear changes from the stick but
the forward/backwards is, in our opinion, the wrong way around. Forward is
to upshift, backwards is for downshifting. Other manufacturers
occasionally adopt this too, but traditionally the other way makes more sense
for the enthusiast. It's how racecars have always been produced, so why
would sports cars not follow suit?
The navigation screen is clear and legible, but the actual
nav function is less than agreeable. Left to its own devices, it doesn't
zoom in enough to get a feel for tricky junctions, making missing a turn all
too easy. The whole appearance of the navigation seems old
fashioned.
Interior storage space in the R8 is minimal. You have a
couple of shallow cup holders that won't hold a bottle of water without it
tipping, and storage compartments are extremely small.
The Audi R8 is fast. And for 2014, the Audi R8 (in
every model) is 0.3 seconds faster from 0 to 60 mph than the outgoing machine,
due to the addition of the dual clutch S-Tronic gearbox. The V10 Plus
manages that sprint in just 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 197 mph. And
while that is without question fast, it is not as quick as a Nissan GT-R and
Porsche 911 Turbo S, which eat up the same run in less than 3 seconds.
Speed isn't everything, however (not that the R8 feels in
any way lacking). We have established the Audi is aesthetically
magnificent with an equally delicious interior. It is an all-round car
that can (with the right tires) be driven virtually all year long. Plus,
the sound of the V10 in particular makes up for its slightly slower dash to
60. The noise resembles that of a minutely quieter, softer Formula One
car. Even after days of driving, it never gets old to hear the crisp
downshifts and acceleration up through the revs to the 8000-plus
redline. While it may not sound quite as good as a Ferrari 458 Italia, it
blows the doors off the Porsche 911 and Nissan GT-R.
Curb weight for the Audi R8 starts at 3,439 pounds for the
V8 Coupe in a manual. The Spyder adds a couple of hundred pounds to
that. The R8 V10 comes in at 3,571 lbs. with the V10 Plus a whopping
110 pounds lighter due to the carbon ceramic brakes (26-pound saving) and other
carbon fiber options such as the diffuser, splitter and the lighter alloy
wheels. Audi utilizes an aluminum space frame for the body making the R8's
frame weight just 463 lbs. for the Coupe and 476 lbs. for the
Spyder.
The new S-Tronic gearbox brings the car inline with many of
the top supercars. Shifts are blazingly fast and far smoother than with
the outgoing R-Tronic single-clutch transmission. The S-Tronic, with its
dual plate clutch, is compact and low, measuring just 8.46 inches in
diameter. This is the single most prolific change for 2014. If there
was one thing lacking in the previous R8, it was the old gearbox. Audi has
well and truly solved this issue.
Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system sends 80 percent of
power to the rear wheels with an option of up to 30 percent going to the front
wheels if need be. This allows the car to feel and drive like a
rear-wheel-drive car, and not suffer the negative of the all-wheel-drive system
on track. All-wheel drive can produce a lot of understeer (where the front
wheels have less grip than the rear) and while the R8 does suffer a touch from
this, we found that by releasing the gas pedal mid-corner, the car will rotate effortlessly
like a pendulum, balancing the front of the car.
The benefit of the all-wheel-drive system is by utilizing
all four wheels the driver can put the power down more aggressively, with more
grip, and exit the corner faster. The R8 handles effortlessly well on the
racetrack, inspiring confidence and responding to a smooth driving
style. The traction control makes it almost impossible to spin the car,
even for those who drive like an idiot, and the car behaves in an almost
PlayStation-like fashion.
The Spyder handles almost as well. We expected the
Spyder would feel more floppy and less stable with its heavier soft top and
lack of torsional rigidity from the loss of the roof. But instead, we
found the R8 Spyder felt smooth and under control with no cowl shake
whatsoever. Genuinely, it was very hard to tell the difference in handling
on the road between the Coupe and the Spyder.
The optional (standard on the V10 Plus) carbon ceramic
brakes feel like driving directly into a ten-foot thick concrete wall. Even
the newly designed steel waved-disc brakes, slamming on the brakes feels like
hitting a five-foot thick slab of concrete. The only downside is perhaps
their grabbiness when driving gently. Still, that is only a minor
grievance.
Moving to the ride, the R8 excels. Few supercars can
attest to being comfortable on a long haul, over various terrains and
conditions. The R8 can. Part of it is due to the comfortable cabin,
the other due to Audi's magnetic ride suspension. It comes standard on the
V10 but (to save weight) is not available on the track-ready V10 Plus. The
system allows the driver to switch between Comfort, Normal and Sport
mode.
What magnetic ride effectively does is adjust suspension
settings based on specific road conditions. It will match itself to the
road. It is the key to the preposterously heavy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1's
handling prowess, and Audi uses this system with similar success.
Having said all of that, the V10 Plus does not ride badly
without the system, but no doubt, for every day use, I'd rather the
customization provided by the magnetic ride.
The 2014 Audi R8 is the total package. It boasts an
incredible balance of speed and handling, something akin to playing Gran
Turismo 5. It brags a comfort/usability factor that remains exponentially
difficult to uncover in the supercar world, and will be priced far cheaper than
the Ferrari 458 and the like. It appears more grown up than a Nissan GT-R,
and prettier than a Porsche 911. An Audi R8 is a machine that will cause
people to stop, stare and drool. And no matter how long you own the car
for, without question, you will act in the exact same way, each and every time
you open the garage door.
source: autoblog
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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