When it was first launched in 2007, the Audi R8 was a clear statement of intent. Audi wanted to be recognised as a truly premium brand, and showing it could create a supercar you could drive every day was deemed the way to do it.
Now, for 2015, there’s an all-new model, which is faster, lighter and more high-tech. Audi has come a long way (and won quite a few GT races) since the R8 was first designed, and if you were in any doubt of its progress on first seeing the sharper new R8, you won’t be when you get inside.
With Audi’s digital ‘Virtual Cockpit’ replacing traditional dials and a rather dated infotainment system, along with laser headlights illuminating the road ahead, it feels like dropping down into a slice of the future. Unless you are used to driving supercars, the performance on offer is almost otherworldly too.
The entry-level V8 engine of the old R8 is gone, replaced with an updated version of the 5.2-litre V10 pushing out either 533bhp from £119,950 or 602bhp in the £134,500 V10 Plus. There’s no manual gearbox – sales slipped to just one per cent versus the auto in the last version – so a new seven-speed S tronic automatic is your only choice.
To be honest, most drivers won’t miss the manual, and in the Plus it would be impossible to change gears quick enough to match the rapid automatic shifts, which allows the R8 V10 Plus to hit 62mph from rest in 3.2 seconds and accelerate from 0-124mph in 9.9 seconds. Yes, it's really that fast, eclipsing any Audi in history and topping out at 204mph.
As most of its rivals - think Porsche 911 Turbo S, McLaren 570S and AMG GT - are turbocharged, the wail of the naturally aspirated V10 feels intoxicating. In Comfort mode with the exhaust flaps closed, it can still cruise quietly and allay long-distance fatigue, but switch to Dynamic mode and the hills are suddenly alive with the sound of ten pistons firing at up to 8,750rpm, and then the ricochet of small arms fire from the exhaust on the overrun.
Despite its generous size, the lack of turbocharging does mean you'll need high revs to feel the R8 engine's full force, with maximum power arriving at a heady 8,250rpm, compared with 6,500rpm in the 911 Turbo. This ramping up of power adds to the excitement and just as you fear physics may overwhelm the rear tyres, you remember that the standard Quattro four-wheel drive system gives the R8 unerring traction, even in the wet. It can now deploy 100 per cent of power to either the front or rear wheels in extreme circumstances.
But, the R8 is no dragster, so how's its chassis? Like the old model, the Plus is fitted with Audi magnetic ride, with suspension which stiffens when a magnetic field is applied, and it offers an impressive range between its softest and firmest settings. In Comfort it's more relaxed than many hot hatches and genuinely a car you'd happily drive every day. In Dynamic, the body feels more tautly controlled, but - on French roads at least - it's hardly going to put your back out, though sharp speed humps are still best avoided.
The steering can adjust its sensitivity depending on your driving mode, and it's quick to react and hugely precise. Sadly, though, it does lack some feel, which can niggle at your confidence as you concentrate intently on what's happening at each corner of the car.
Even on fast and sweeping roads, the R8's grip levels feel almost unburstable, to the point where you wonder just how fast you'd have to be going and how much time on a track it would take to truly find its limits. Just once on damp and greasy roads did the front tyres understeer slightly, with a slight lift of the throttle restoring normality.
And, you don't need to be an expert to drive the R8 fast. With controls not too far removed from the humble Audi TT, advanced stability control, an automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, anyone can get in and drive at a serious lick. For many, this lack of intimidation will be a key selling point, but for some purists, the ease of driving an R8 quickly - and the amount of time you'll find yourself stuck behind slower traffic - may make them wonder if they'd be having more fun in something much slower and with far less grip, like a Porsche Cayman or even a £25k Mazda MX-5.
But, this applies to all supercars, not just the R8, and customers will likely be well-heeled enough to attend track days. If they do, the ceramic brake discs fitted to the Plus will pay dividends, and should allow prolonged bouts of heavy braking without wilting. They felt hugely powerful on the road and even helped us avoid a potentially embarrassing coming together with a wild boar that leapt from the roadside into our path.
Tragedy avoided, it was a good time to reflect on the R8. It's an incredible achievement by Audi's engineers, and owning one would be the motoring equivalent of having a Superman suit to change into. Despite its power, the R8 can be driven every day, but this usability and its freakish grip can also make it feel like it's not even trying at normal speeds.
