Expert Opinions & Reviews: 2008 Audi R8 Coupe quattro with Auto R tronic

Expert Review:

2008 Audi R8 Review

by Thom Blackett
Jan 9, 2008

Introduction

What’s New: An all-new vehicle for 2008, the Audi R8 is a stunning 420 hp mid-engine winner that gets looks on the street and smiles at the track. 

Competes With: Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Jaguar XKR, Porsche 911 Turbo

What We Think: Perhaps the first exotic we’ve driven that’s suitable for daily driving, the Audi R8 is comfortable to sit in, beautiful to look at and amazing to drive. With all-wheel-drive and 420 hp, the R8 is the smart man’s super car.

Audi R8 – 2008 Review:  The proof is in the pudding. It’s a simple little adage that applies to countless aspects of our lives, especially as we head into 2008. Our brief respite has come to a screeching halt as yet another election year descends upon us, bringing along its barrage of finger-pointing, baby-kissing, and thoroughly Maybellined slew of polished candidates. With them come promises of world-changing proportions, miraculously achievable without raising taxes or having any ill effects on even one member of society.

Car companies make bold claims as well, though much less extreme. Just last year, Audi suggested that it would no longer settle for its second-string status among mass-produced luxury brands. My inner cynic and skeptic mumbled something about not holding any breath. And then I tasted the pudding, so to speak. Among a host of Audi products is the 420-horsepower, all-wheel-drive 2008 R8 which will have track junkies and affluent commuters alike asking, “BMWho?� At nearly $115,000 to start, the R8 is pricey, yet for those lucky few who actually get one, the payoff comes in the way of unmistakable style, uncompromised handling coupled with everyday comfort, and ties to a renowned racing heritage.

The pudding has been tasted, and it is indeed sweet. Audi deserves less of my cynicism, but the politicians? Not a chance.

Origins

Audi has been showing what we’ve come to know as the R8 for a few years, with the vehicle’s first debut taking place in Europe in 2003. At that time, Audi dubbed it the Le Mans Concept, though for production the R8 name was borrowed from the brand’s five-time Le Mans 24 Hour race winner.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• Next

More Expert Opinions & Reviews

NCTD: 2008 Audi R8

German supercar with Italian roots.
Read more

If You Like This Vehicle, We Also Recommend These Vehicles: