A Supercar Without The Bad Attitude
Infineon Raceway is chock full of twisty climbs and curving descents, so we chose to keep the gearbox in manual mode. Before our arrival, Audi engineers had locked-out the stability-control defeat button (auto journalists are a crazy bunch), so we had no choice but to leave it on. Gratefully, its limits have been re-calibrated for the GT's higher performance. Instructed to follow a school instructor in an R8 4.2, we released the brake and pulled the GT on to the circuit.
Then something very unique happened – all credited directly to the competency of Audi's newest flagship.
Full disclosure reveals that we are not only new to the R8 GT, but it is our first time driving at Infineon. In most cases, this requires a dozen orientation laps learning corners and turn-in points while simultaneously attempting to get accustomed to how a vehicle handles. Not so with the Audi R8 GT. The learning curve drops off a cliff. Within three laps, we are chasing the instructor with the gusto of a hungry cheetah trailing a fleeing gazelle.
The GT is absurdly easy to drive at the limit, thanks to its mid-engine balance, accurate steering, excellent throttle response and tenacious all-wheel-drive grip. After just moments behind the wheel, we find ourselves completely at ease driving eight-tenths. By our second and third stint in the driver's seat, there is nothing holding us back from driving full tilt. While lighter than its siblings, the GT is still no featherweight when compared to some of its rivals – evident with some understeer on the sharpest corners. Regardless, the new R8 approaches tossable now. Stability control doesn't allow us to rotate the vehicle mid-corner, but it doesn't seem to mind when we clip the apex in a four-wheel power slide.
[Note: When viewing the video, notice how little input is required on the shift paddles on the back of the steering spokes to change gears and how abrupt the full-throttle shifts are – that's a characteristic of the single-clutch transmission. To get a good sense of the g-forces, keep your eyes on the leather keychain hanging from the ignition switch.]
The R-Tronic gearbox gives us heartburn each time it actuates.
While the additional engine power is welcomed and noticed, we are most impressed with the brakes. The ceramics are a huge upgrade over the iron units, both at reducing unsprung weight and absorbing gobs of heat (it seems the tires will melt off their wheels before the brakes fade). At the other end of that scale, giving us heartburn each time it actuates, is the R-Tronic gearbox. We try hard to like it, but it simply operates with a clumsiness that isn't acceptable these days. A dual-clutch would shave tenths off the acceleration time (and we'd give up half-a-second for a proper gated manual).
Enthusiasts will undoubtedly need to size up the R8 GT against a
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4,
Porsche GT2,
Ferrari 458 Italia and
McLaren MP4-12C. We'll save you some time by telling you that each of those fierce competitors arrives to the fight with a better power-to-weight ratio, much firmer suspension tuning and an aggressive attitude that honestly isn't felt while sitting behind the wheel of the Audi. Not to infer that the R8 GT isn't a bona fide supercar – it is by all standards of measurement.
From our perspective, it seems that Audi wasn't aiming at those targets. Compared to that rowdy clan, the R8 GT is too civil, far too poised and much too amicable. While the others will quickly bite if allowed the opportunity, Audi's perfectly-tame supercar could be your best friend for life.
The more we got to know the Audi, and the more thought we put into it, the automaker's new flagship started to remind us of the
Aston Martin V12 Vantage. That low-volume Brit, itself a thoroughly-enhanced variant of the VH platform, stole our hearts with its uniqueness and personality. As we said in
our review, the V12 Vantage wasn't designed to set records; it was engineered for the pleasure of driving.
Audi's new flagship probably won't set any track records either, but we don't doubt it will make its handful of owners very, very pleased. Not only is it the ultimate performance adaptation of the remarkable R8 platform, but its uniqueness and low production volume will make today's ten-cylinder Audi R8 GT a very coveted prize in the future. Yes, it is simply that good.
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