Test Drive Audi R8 V10 since 2008 coupe
Civil offensive
In the Audi model range appeared a sports car. In this segment of the market, not only high technologies with which Audi is all right, but also the traditions that it does not have here with all the merits of the brand in front of the car industry are. Companies who have become AUDI competitors are produced by the highest sample sports for decades. Will the novelty be lost next to the proven fighters of the sports front Ferrari F430, Porsche 911, Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin DB9? Note, not all members of the elite club manufacturers of sports cars direct and explicit rivals Audi. Some are, you can say relatives. We are talking about Lamborghini, which dies under the wing of the company from Ingolstadt. So Audi's sports experience has, alone, alone. However, from a relative Gallardo model R8 received only some units, but the project itself is the brainchild of engineers of four rings.
The appearance of the R8 is universal technical, the game of faces and surfaces. Audi managed to combine the ultra-modern appearance and classic proportions, and some designer solutions are truly unique. Dry hood, squared stretched headlights, plastic air intake air intake pattern is amazing. It is even more more effective when the garlands of LEDs light up on the bottom edge of the headlights. I must say, this workout reception will be used only with xenon headlights. Soon Audi will offer optional headlights, fully made on LEDs, their eyeliner will be in the form of a solid luminous line. By the way, if you look closely, in reflectors of the front turn signals, the inscription R8 will be discovered.
The abstract of the windows is classic, the exciting pairing of the lines of doors and wings can be called quite Italian. The front track is wider than the back of 39 mm, however, because of the large shelves of wings and lighting, located highly along the edges of the body, it seems that it is distributed to the stern. The rear window rests on the spoiler, which in an inactive position performs the functions of the engine compartment heat sink, the surface of the spoiler is dressed with holes. The wing is automatically extended at a speed of 100 km / h. In the cabin there is a key that exhibits the spoiler forcibly like on Audi TT. Rear lights are no less beautiful than the front. Moreover, also have a LED feature three-dimensional effect of the glow. Ploy. Corporate style two rectangles in each block, like on TT and Q7. The sidewalls of the car are good not only by a whimsical relief center occupies a panel that connects the lines of the roof and the threshold and, as they say in Audi, resembles a mid-air arrangement of a sports car, as well as hides the air intake of the motor. Where eloquently speaks about the average engine the engine compartment, through which the engine is visible in all its glory. In this regard, the company offers optional carbon engine finishing so that it captured the Spirit at all. It is noted that the car is equipped with the V8 FSI, which we liked on RS4. The 4,2-liter unit, easily overstating the figure of 100 hp / l, reports the car radical acceleration.
The creation of German motorists can safely put in one row with engines of famous Italian companies. At the same time, it must be recognized that according to elasticity, efficiency and, in a sense, it exceeds them. Although what, to hell, efficiency, the full fuel tank burned out for me for incomplete 200 km run! The motor differs from the version for the RS4 lubrication system with a dry crankcase. Considering the side accelerations that playing R8 generates, such a decision is uniquely correct. The interior is high-quality and expensive, but the design did not hook. Even despite the accented driver's zone, the outlined line, which begins at the bottom of the driver's door, runs up, envelopes the dashboard and falls to the base of the central console. The reception is good, but the rest does not fit with the bright nature of the sports car a calm attachment front panel in the passenger zone and absolutely not docked with her door sheathing. And the central console seemed overloaded with detail. However, R8 compensated for it with magnificent ergonomics and a large margin of space.
Sit into the car is easily due to the wide door. Landing, naturally, is low, but this is the only thing to get used to. The chair equipped with electrically regulators made it possible to immediately take a convenient position with almost vertical back, while the stock of the displacement of his back and space above the head remains. With my height of 190 cm I was waiting for the worst result. Two adults from tightness also do not suffer. You can go to a long way! Oh, when do we have normal highways and autobahn in our country? ..
Chairs Miracle as good by themselves. They look quite in civilian, support is accentuated slightly, but when you sit down, it seems that the chair did to order. Pillow rollers fix legs, the side sections of the backs are very confident in turns. The steering wheel along the recent tradition of Audi is flattened at the bottom. Allegedly for the convenience of landing and disembarking. For me, it would be better to leave a classic ram, because the R8 steering wheel does from the stop until the stop is good if 2.5 turns. With a rapid rotation from one extraordinary position to another steering angularity, confess, knocked off. But feedback in the apple! The jewelry work of the hydraulic driver helps the driver just feel the front wheels, and not just get feedback on the steering wheel. Of course, the great merit here and the middle-door layout of the front light, therefore the steering wheel is transparent. The rotation of the usual ignition key, V8 wakes up behind the glass-metal partition. At idle of any hysteria of sound. Still, the experience of building executive sedans affects the sound, vibration and thermal insulation of the Salon of the Bescocrous Sport car R8 is made at the highest level. At the same time, the engineers took care that the driver's ears reached only the most delicious sounds. Slightly annivers that the rustling of the waste tires in which 19-inch optional discs are shifted. With visibility, too. Forward everything is visible perfectly thanks to thin racks, back, of course, worse, but not critical.
R8 was created using Audi Space Frame technology. The basis of the design is the aluminum frame, to which the bolts are fastened all panels, with the exception of the roof. Body hard and easy. Suspension Classic genre: Double transverse levers in front and rear. The vast majority of parts of the chassis are also made of aluminum. On the test car, in addition stood an active suspension with Magnetic Ride shock absorbers, which can change stiffness and operate either in comfort-oriented automatic mode, or in an uncompromising sports. Aluminum discs are also optional, rubber 235/35 in front and 295/30 behind. By the way, do you remind you of the design of the wheels? That's right, Ferrari. The engine brings all four wheels. Moreover, the main traction goes back, and the front get from 10 to 35%. Exactly the same scheme implemented on Lamborghini Gallardo. Yes, and the gearbox is borrowed from the Italian robotic sequentalka R-TRONIC. The driver only gives the command to the executive mechanism of petals on the steering wheel or selector on the tunnel. The box has a sports mode that is straightened from automatic. When the first is involved, the engine is hanging longer on the transmission, and switching on higher circulation is carried out lightning and with a tangible blow to the transmission. Wow, like hot! But there is still a Launch Control mode, similar to the one with which we met on BMW M5 and M6. For the highest start, you need to use sports mode, disable ESP, press gas and brake at the same time. Electronics keeps high speed, and when the driver releases the brake, R8 under the hysterical roar of the giving eight tears ahead. Acceleration imprints in the back of the seat (especially well passenger), takes out of reality. The second hundred changes in 4.6 seconds, the third smoothly ten seconds later. But the frantic overclocking continues, and after another a few seconds the car reaches a mark of 250 km / h. In the cabin, this additionally reports the beep. But we have little 250 km / h, because in the passport stated 301! It is necessary to use your chance. Early in the morning, on a completely free highway, with the photographer we celebrate the victory on the speedometer exactly three hundred!
How does R8 behave at a speed of 200 km / h? Great, with inherent Audi calmness. The coupe undergoes super-fast kilometers, confidently holding a straight line, allows you to sharply rebuild and refuse without fear. The key to this stability is magnificent aerodynamics with chop-effect. The higher the speed, the greater the discharge under the bottom of the car. And a small retractable spoiler makes auxiliary work. For a few days of the test, I never learned to ride this car calmly. R8 provokes to high-speed ride. To fly into every turn to use each straightforward for hurricane, accompanied by juicy sound, acceleration. On the arc, the car is unusually stable and shows close to neutral turning. All targeted turns pass an order faster, while noting that the rubber did not even squeak. Stunning Chassis Sleaning! As already mentioned, the front wheels R8 can be transmitted from 10 to 35% of the traction, hence the rear-wheel behavior. At the maximum turn, when adding a gas, the car begins to firm inside the arc, and if you continue the offensive, the drift is developing rapidly. However, with timely correction, the car can be pulled out. If you did not have time to react, hope for EPS. As practice shows, together with the driver, she pulls the car from slides promptly. By the way, the stabilization system is turned off with short-term pressing on the responsible key only half the anti-slip component is powered. To turn off EPS completely, you must hold the key for a few seconds.
Even with conventional steel brakes, the car slows down to be accelerated. Moreover, often before intervention ABS does not reach. Informativeness is impeccable, overlay the brakes during a few bursts at a speed of 200 km / h never succeeded. Perhaps soon in Russia will offer both optional ceramics; The installation of such brake discs will make it possible to throw 2 kg of unsappressible masses from each wheel. Distracted by Drive. Is there any practicality in this car? Salon spacious, sit comfortable. Riding in the city without problems, on the track is even easier. The suspension elastic, energy-intensive and does not shake out the soul, and in the auto mode it can be called comfortable. Bang & Olufsen acoustics plays like his name. There is a 90 l trunk, and on the shelf behind the armchairs, as Audi is assured, you can place two bags with golf clubs. So it turned out that the civil engineer did the most suitable for civilian exploitation of a sports car, which in that case never ceases to be a sports car. This machine with adrenaline in the gas tank can go quickly, and may be incredibly quickly with constant stability. Audi debut must be recognized as successful. Newbie R8 is a very strong player in the segment relative to available sports cars. Prices and equipment
Audi R8 is offered either with a six-speed manual transmission (? 133 643), or with a six-speed r-tronic robot (? 142 812). The base bundle includes a brake system with perforated discs, 8-piston front calipers in front of 4-piston rear, audio installation with a CD player, a display of 6.5 inches, 5-channel amplifier and 7 speakers, on-board computer, immobilizer, alarm, climate control , multifunctional leather steering wheel, aluminum gear lever arm, sport seats with mechanical height adjustment, central locking, light sensor, bi-xenon headlights, wheels R18 (235/40, 285/35), tire pressure control. Tires Allege additional lighting, navigation system, Bang & Olufsen acoustics, parking sensors, rain sensor, cruise control, CD changer, etc. In Russia on the R8 queue. So, all the quota for this year has already separated. On the planned supply volumes, the AUDI representation does not report.
Leonty Tytelev
Source: Motor magazine [September 2007]
