RIMINI, Italy - Founded in 268 BC, this coastal town was once an important Roman stronghold, the gateway between Italic and Gallic lands. Home to filmmaker Fellini, Rimini is now a sun-drenched paradise on the Italian Riviera.
Well... that may be so during the holiday season, but at the moment it's damp and drizzling with pea-soup fog that would make a Londoner feel right at home.
Not exactly the ideal conditions for driving a 550-hp supercar.
To its credit, the 2014 Audi R8 I'm piloting scarcely puts a tire wrong on the slippery cobbled tarmac. A couple of heart-stopping seconds of hydroplaning are quickly taken under control by the quattro all-wheel-drive system, although the rear end's occasional squirming adds unneeded drama on the hairpin roads.
Our destination is the mountainous principality of San Marino, and thank heavens for the navigation system whose screen resembles a plate of spaghetti thrown at a wall. The windshield wipers flail furiously on the front windscreen, but visibility is close to nil. Too bad, because the ancient, crenellated walls barely visible through the thick fog would have made a terrific photo backdrop.
It's hard to form an accurate opinion under such conditions, particularly when we're talking about a car that performs so brilliantly at high speeds.
Since its introduction in 2007, the Audi R8 has won over legions of fans for its ability to fool even the most talentless among us into thinking we're driving superstars. Civilized it may be, the R8 is still a no-compromise sports car that made even the iconic
Porsche 911 sit up and take notice. And now it's back; stronger, stiffer and faster than ever. But is it better?
Extensive use of carbon fibre and aluminum result in a lighter car
The 2014 Audi R8 is certainly lighter. Thanks to an extensive use of carbon fibre on inlays, bumpers, even the mirror housings, and the aluminum "space frame" body, the R8 sheds between 75 and 105 kg (between 166 and 232 lbs).
There are a few subtle changes to the 2014 Audi R8's exterior, some slight bumper modifications and standard round exhaust pipes throughout the model range.
Those signature running lights -- the twinkly eyelashes that have since become ubiquitous across the automotive spectrum -- are gone, replaced with a full LED swath. Behind, the rump lights up with some slick taillights that illuminate sequentially outward.
That unique styling, which elevates it above other sports cars and into the realm of supercar, remains unaltered.
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| The twinkly eyelashes - are gone, replaced with a full LED swath. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush) |
Same engines... but more power
The 4.2L V8 returns in the 2014 Audi R8, with an output of 430 hp, while the 5.2L V10 also remains at 525. Now offered in coupe-form only, is the R8 V10 Plus that puts out 550 hp and 398 lb-ft instead of 391. The power differences come courtesy of some creative engine management software.
Enthusiasts will be happy to hear that the manual gearbox, with its snickety-snick metal gated shifter returns, unchanged. More good news: The R tronic automatic transmission that many compared to the lurching smart car's gearbox is gone, replaced with a double-clutch S tronic that rips through the gears as proficiently as Porsche's PDK unit. It has the ability to skip gears when needed, greatly enhancing powerband access for quick spurts of energy while passing.
Before we hit the drive route, we had a few laps around the Misano World Circuit in the 2014 Audi R8 V10 Spyder. A fast track roughly the shape of a crossbow, it would have been an exhilarating experience had we not been deluged by sheets of driving rain. The quattro system has the extraordinary ability to keep the R8 from going sideways through hairpin turns in two inches of water -- and I did manage speeds of up to 180 km/h in the straights. The flat-bottomed, leather-wrapped steering wheel is heavy, but is reassuringly substantial and delivers good feedback.
Surprising amount of interior space in two-seater cockpit
Our time on Rimini's cobbled roads was spent behind the wheel of a navy blue, matte-finish 2014 Audi R8 V10 Plus. Given the extreme weather conditions, we left the adaptive suspension settings on "comfort" rather than switching to "sport." Even so, the ride is very firm.
There's a surprising amount of room in the two-seat cockpit of the 2014 Audi R8, with ample space behind us for jackets and camera gear, with extra bags stowed in the beer-cooler-size front trunk.
The racing-style seats are highly bolstered and supportive, if on the hard side. Absolutely perfect for track days, probably not so much for long, luxurious cruises.
All controls are simple and straightforward, and there's a truly marvellous Bang & Olufsen sound system in the unlikely event that you tire of listening to that glorious V10 behind your back. There's even a back-up camera -- a nod towards everyday practicality.
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| The flat-bottomed, leather-wrapped steering wheel is heavy, but is reassuringly substantial and delivers good feedback. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush) |
Lighter, more powerful, a sublime sports car with supercar styling
Lighter, more powerful and with an impressive new gearbox, the new 2014 Audi R8 actually manages to improve on what was already a sublime sports car, while delivering almost a litre/100 km better fuel economy.
The 2014 Audi R8 will arrive in Europe this January, with North American markets to follow. While Canadian pricing has not yet been released, it should be on par with the current Coupe and Spyder.
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