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Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro road test report

5.2 FSI Quattro

How do you improve on a car as good as the R8? Well, if you’re Audi, you replace the 4.2-litre V8 with an even more awesome V10. Yes, Audi has seen fit to up the power on the R8 by fitting a version of the V10 found in the RS6 and Lamborghini Gallardo. The rest of the package is pretty much as you’d find in the lower-powered (a ridiculous way to describe a 414bhp V8, but it’s all relative) version, which very much follows the ethos of ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ Has it ruined the R8? Not a chance.

Road Test Reports Says 5 star rating
A front-facing image of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro

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CRAIGT SAYS

Performance Performance - 5 stars

The V8-powered R8 is no slouch: 414bhp, 317lb-ft of torque and 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds is probably enough for most people. However, the new variant is an even bigger beast. The 5.2-litre FSI engine produces 517bhp high up the rev range at 8,000rpm, with 391lb-ft of torque generated at 6,500rpm. As 80% of the torque is available from idle, the R8 has a wide powerband, with plenty of power on tap right through the rev range, which tops out at 8,700rpm. The engine – mounted right behind you – also makes a glorious sound when the revs start rising. There are two transmission options, a manual and R tronic automatic. The manual is excellent: a gated ‘box, it provides satisfyingly assured changes at all times. The R tronic sequential automatic box is a bit of a letdown and, unless you’re going to be using your R8 for track days, we’d stick with the manual.

Ride & Handling Ride & Handling - 5 stars

The R8 is a wonderfully accomplished driving machine and the addition of a V10 engine thankfully hasn’t affected that in the slightest. The additional 100bhp has meant that the suspension has been tweaked slightly to accommodate the extra power, with stiffer springs all round and a new rear roll bar. However, the changes haven’t diminished the quality of the ride: the R8 is still extremely comfortable and easy to drive in all environments, including in town. It is still the easiest supercar to live with. There were concerns among many fans of the R8 that the extra power and the weight of the V10 engine (it’s an additional 60kg) might also compromise the sublime handling of the car. Those fears are fortunately unfounded. The R8 V10 is still a sweet-handling, finely balanced, agile car with excellent levels of feedback from the steering. Allied to all that power, it’s pretty much an unrivalled package.

Build Quality & Reliability Build Quality & Reliability - 5 stars

Audis are renowned for their quality, especially the interiors of their cars. The R8 is no exception, unsurprisingly, especially when you consider that it’s a sneeze under £100K and is hand built on a dedicated production line at the factory of Quattro GmbH, Audi’s performance arm, which also builds the RS models. The engine and mechanicals should prove reliable, as they are tested to the same standards as everything produced by the Volkswagen Group. The engine – in a slightly different guise – has also seen service in the Lamborghini Gallardo and Audi RS6, with no negative issues so far reported. As you’d expect of any car that carries an Audi badge, the interior is excellent. Well-appointed and comfortable, it meets the standards the carmaker has set in recent years on the way to establishing a reputation for providing the best cabins in the business.

Safety & Security Safety & Security - 5 stars

The R8 isn’t built in great enough numbers to warrant testing by Euro NCAP, but it’s safe to say that it will stand up to scrutiny in a collision. The R8 has all the safety measures you’d expect from a supercar that could get you into trouble at 197mph. As well as Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system, there are all the usual electronics to help you stay safe (ABS, ESP, etc). If you do manage to get into an accident, there are two-stage airbags for the driver and passenger, plus head-thorax side airbags; side-impact protection in the doors; a belt force limiter and tensioner; Isofix mount points in the passenger seat; a headguard support system; and fuel switch-off and cable disconnect. The R8 is also the first car in the world to use LEDs for all the car’s lights, good for safety because it makes the car more visible to other drivers.

Space & Practicality Space & Practicality - 3 stars

The R8 is a two-seat supercar with the engine compartment right behind the passenger cabin. It’s not the world’s most spacious car. Then again, buyers aren’t going to be weighing up the pros and cons of this against an MPV such as the Ford S-Max, so we’re sure that they’re going into any prospective purchase with their eyes wide open. The two seats that are there are supremely comfortable, with a wide range of movement: an adjustable steering wheel also combines with the seat to enable a driver of any shape or size to find a comfortable driving position. Bootspace is a bit lacking, with enough room for a couple of weekend bags under the bonnet and a bit of room behind the seats for a large tote or briefcase. The major controls are all easy to reach and straightforward to use, with some basic functions for the infotainment system on the steering wheel.

Ownership & Value Ownership & Value - 4 stars

The R8 is a £100K supercar, so, as you’d expect, it’s not cheap to run. Fuel consumption is 19.2mpg on the combined cycle, rising to 20.6mpg if you opt for the R tronic automatic version. Obviously, with a V10 engine that sounds as good as the one powering the R8, in the real world, nobody is going to get anywhere near these: if you get into double-figures you’ll probably be doing well. Carbon dioxide figures of 351g/km (manual) and 327g/km (R tronic) are also unlikely to get you on Friends of the Earth’s Christmas card list. You can also expect to pay the top rate of road tax (Band M, which will currently cost £405 per year) for as long as it’s tied to CO2 emissions. The R8’s insurance group is also, unsurprisingly, the top group, Group 20.

Submitted: 28/05/2009 11:13:45

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