Audi R8 V8 Test Drive since 2007 compartment
Civil attack
A sports car appeared in the Audi lineup. In this market segment, not only the high technologies with which Audi is all right is highly valued, but also the traditions that she does not have here for all the merits of the brand in front of the car industry. Companies that instantly have competitors Audi produce sportsmen of the highest sample for decades. Will the novelty next to the trusted fighters of the sports front Ferrari F430, Porsche 911, Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin DB9? Note that not all members of the elite club of manufacturers of sportsmen are direct and obvious rivals of Audi. Some are, one might say, relatives. We are talking about Lamborghini, which is under the wing of the company from Ingolstadt. So Audi has a sports experience, albeit a stranger. However, from a relative of Gallardo, the R8 model received only a few units, but the project itself is the brainchild of engineers of four rings.
The appearance of the R8 is incomparable technical land, the game of faces and surfaces. Audi managed to combine the ultramodern appearance and classic proportions, and some design solutions are truly unique. The wide hood, narrowed stretched headlights, plastic plumage of air intakes The picture is amazing. Even more spectacular when the garlands of LEDs light up along the lower edge of the headlights. I must say, this design reception will be used only with xenon headlights. Soon, Audi will offer optional headlights completely made on LEDs, their eyeliner will be in the form of a continuous luminous line. By the way, if you look closely, the inscription R8 is found in the reflectors of the front turn signals.
The outbris of the windows is classic, exciting the conjugation of the lines of doors and wings can be called quite Italian. The front track is 39 mm wider, but due to the large shelves of wings and lighting equipment located high at 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 heat sink of the engine compartment, the surface of the spoiler is dotted with holes. The wing is automatically advanced at a speed of 100 km/h. There is a key in the cabin that exhibits the spoiler forcibly as on Audi TT. The rear lights are no less beautiful than the front ones. Moreover, the LED feature of the three -dimensional effect of the glow also have. Visor's eyes. Corporate style two rectangles in each block, as on TT and Q7. The sides of the car are good not only with a whimsical relief, the center occupies a panel that connects the roof lines and threshold and, as they say in Audi, recalls the average engine component of the sports car, and also hides the motor air intakes. Much more eloquently speaks of the medium -sized glass of a motor compartment, through which the engine is visible in all its glory. In this regard, the company offers an optional engine finish by a carbon so that it is completely breathtaking. There is something to see what the car is equipped with the V8 FSI, which we liked so much more on RS4. The 4.2-liter unit, easily crossed the indicator of 100 hp/l, tells the machine radical acceleration.
The creation of German motorists can be safely put on a par with the engines of famous Italian companies. At the same time, it must be admitted that in terms of elasticity, efficiency and, in a sense, he surpasses them with technology. Although what, to hell, the economy of the full fuel tank burned out for my incomplete 200 km of run! The motor differs from the version for the RS4 with a lubricant system with a dry card. Given the lateral accelerations that the R8 generates playing, this solution seems the only right one. The interior is high -quality and expensive, but the design did not hook. Even despite the accented driver's area outlined by the line, which begins at the bottom of the driver's door, runs up, envelops the instrument shield and falls to the base of the central console. The reception is good, but otherwise, a calm front panel in the passenger zone and a completely unhealthy doorbag \u200b\u200bdo not fit with the violent character of the sports car. And the central console seemed overloaded with details. However, the R8 compensated for this with magnificent ergonomics and a large supply of space.
It’s easy to get into the car thanks to a wide door. The landing is naturally low, but this is the only thing to get used to. The chair equipped with electroregies allowed to immediately take a convenient position with an almost vertical back, while there was a reserve of shift back and space above the head. With my height of 190 cm, I was waiting for the worst result. Two adults also do not suffer from tightness. You can go on a long way! Eh, when will we have normal haweves and autobahns in our country? ..
The chairs are a miracle how good they are. They look quite frenzier, support is emphasized slightly, but when you sit down, the impression is that the chair was made for you to order. The rollers of the pillows fix the legs, the side sections of the back are very confident in corners. The steering wheel according to the recent tradition of Audi is flattened in the lower part. Supposedly for the convenience of landing and landing. For me, it would be better if they left a classic trunk, because the R8 steering wheel makes from the stop to the stop well if 2.5 turns. With rapid rotation from one extreme position to another angular steering wheel, I confess, confused. But feedback to the apple itself! The jewelry operation of the hydraulic wrap helps the driver feel the front wheels, and not just receive feedback on the steering wheel. Of course, the merit here is great and the medium -measurement layout is light, therefore the steering wheel is transparent. The turn of the ordinary ignition key, V8 wakes up behind the glass-metallic partition. There is no hysteria of sound on idle. Nevertheless, the experience of building representative sedans is affected by sound, vibro and thermal insulation of the interior of a non-permanent sports car R8 is made at the highest level. At the same time, the engineers made sure that the driver’s ears reached only the most delicious sounds. The rustling of wide tires, in which 19-inch optional discs are shod slightly. With visibility is also order. 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 an aluminum frame to which all the panels are fastened with bolts, with the exception of the roof. The body is hard and light. Suspension of the classic of the genre: double transverse levers in the front and behind. The vast majority of chassis details are also made of aluminum. In addition, there was an active suspension with Magnetic Ride shock absorbers on the test car, which can change rigidity and work either in automatic comfort or in an uncompromising sports. Aluminum discs are also optional, rubber 235/35 in front and 295/30 behind. By the way, does something remind you of the design of the wheels? That's right, Ferrari. The engine brings all four wheels. Moreover, the main craving goes back, and the front ones receive from 10 to 35%. Exactly the same scheme is implemented on Lamborghini Gallardo. And the gearbox has been borrowed from the Italian robotic sequenter R-Tronic. The driver only gives commands to the executive mechanism with petals on the steering wheel or selector on the tunnel. The box has a sports mode, which is strikingly different from automatic. When the first is involved, the motor hangs longer in the transmission, and switching at the highest revolutions are performed with lightning speed and with a tangible blow in the transmission. Wow, how hot! But there is still a Launch Control mode, similar to the one we met at the BMW M5 and M6. For the fastest start, it is necessary to use the sports mode, turn off ESP, press gas and brake at the same time. Electronics holds increased speeds, and when the driver releases the brake, R8 under the hysterical roar of a furious eight tears forward. Acceleration imprints in the back of the seat (especially good passenger), takes away from reality. The second hundred is exchanged 4.6 seconds, the third exactly ten seconds later. But the frantic acceleration continues, and after a few seconds the machine reaches 250 km/h. In the cabin, the sound signal additionally reports this. But we are not enough 250 km/h, because the passport has been declared 301! You need to use your chance. In the early morning, on a completely free highway, the photographer and I celebrate the victory by the speedometer exactly three hundred!
How does R8 behave at speed for 200 km/h? Great, with the inherent Audi equanimity. The compartment passes super -suffered kilometers, confidently holding the straight line, allows you to renew sharply and tearing itself to without fear. The key to such stability is magnificent aerodynamics with a gran effect. The higher the speed, the greater the discharge under the bottom of the car. And a small sliding spoiler does auxiliary work. For a few days of the test, I never learned to drive this car calmly. R8 provokes a high -speed ride. To fly into each turn, to use every straight line for hurricane, accompanied by juicy sound, acceleration. On the arc, the car is unusually stable and shows a close to neutral rotation. All targeted turns you pass by an order of magnitude faster, while noting that the rubber did not even squeak. Awesome chassis embalming! As already mentioned, from 10 to 35% traction can be transmitted to the front wheels R8, hence the rear -wheel drive nature of behavior. In a maximum turn when adding gas, the car begins to screw into the arc, and if you continue the offensive, skidding quickly develops. However, with timely correction, the car can be pulled out. If you did not have time to react, hope on EPS. As practice shows, together with the driver, she pulls out a slot car promptly. By the way, the stabilization system is disconnected with a short -term pressing on the responsible key only half the anti -circus component is strewn. To turn off EPS completely, it is necessary to hold the key for a few seconds.
Even with ordinary steel brakes, the machine slows down Moreover, it is often the case does not reach the intervention of ABS. Informativity is impeccable, it was not possible to overheat the brakes during several grades at speeds over 200 km/h. Perhaps soon in Russia they will offer optional ceramics; The installation of such brake discs will allow you to drop 2 kg of unsaved masses from each wheel. Let's get away from the drive. Is there at least a bit of practicality in this car? The interior is spacious, sitting is comfortable. Going in the city without problems, on the highway is even easier. The suspension is elastic, energy -intensive and does not shake the soul, and in Auto mode it can be called comfortable. Acoustics Bang & Olufsen plays properly by its name. There is a trunk with a volume of 90 liters, and on the shelf behind the chairs, as Audi assures, you can place two bags with golf clubs. So it turned out that the civilian automotive industry made the most suitable sports car for civil operation, which in this case does not cease to be a sports car. This car with adrenaline in a gas tank can drive quickly, and it can incredibly quickly with unchanged stability. Audi debut must be recognized as successful. A beginner R8 is a very strong player in the segment relatively affordable sportsmen. Prices and configuration
Audi R8 is proposed either with a six-speed manual transmission (? 133 643), or with a six-speed R-Tronic robot (? 142 812). The basic configuration includes a brake system with perforated disks, 8-piston calipers in front with 4-piston rear, audio installation with a CD player, a 6.5 inches display, a 5-channel amplifier and 7 speakers, an on-board computer, an immobilizer, alarm, climate control , a multifunctional leather steering wheel, an aluminum handle of a gearbox lever, sports seats with mechanical height adjustment, central locking, light sensor, bi-xenon headlights, r18 wheels (235/40, 285/35), tire pressure control can also be ordered. additional lighting, navigation system, acoustics Bang & Olufsen, parking sensors, rain sensor, cruise control, CD changer, etc. In Russia on R8 queue. So, all the quota for this year has already dispersed. Audi representative office does not report on the planned volumes of deliveries.
Leonty Tyutelev
Source: Motor magazine [September 2007]
