The advent of the user-friendly mid-engined supercar is fairly recent.Ferrari finally cottoned on to the idea in the 90s, but only after being gob-smacked by the competence and sheer turn-key utility displayed by Honda's NSX.There are still compromises to be made if you use a road-going Ferrari or Lamborghini. They aren't that easy to drive, though owners wouldn't have it any other way. They see it as part of the mystique.They're also eye-wateringly expensive to buy and run, which is a part of the NSX equation the Italians have not quite fathomed. The Honda can be serviced by any franchised dealer and day-to-day is as easy to use as a Civic, despite being able to run with the Ferraris and Porsches.Leaders of the turn-key supercar hierarchy are the more powerful versions of Porsche's 911. But they are not mid-engined.Their power units are way out back and despite employing several decades' worth of engineering solutions, electronic chassis enhancements and leading edge tyre technology, a 911 can still induce a cold spinal shiver by way of its pendulum-like rear if you're not concentrating.
Enter Audi's R8.
Porsche must have seen it coming. After all, the company is planning to become a 51 per cent shareholder in VW next year and already has a controlling interest. Which means it will have known about VW affiliate Audi's plans for years.Audi saw merit in a mid V8 engined car by combining some of the expertise gained from its work with Lamborghini and its own knowledge of working with aluminium body and suspension components.With a simple alloy tub housing the same tuned and lightened Quad Cam V8 already employed by Audi's RS4, the R8 almost designed itself.Its look was even pre-ordained, being very closely related to Will Smith's wheel-less transporter in the movie I Robot.The car was the star, of course. Turning more heads than a Federer-Nadal tennis rally, thanks to a blood-curdling sound signature and a low-slung profile that puts its driver level with the lug nuts on trucks, the R8 is one of the best-looking cars on the road, despite costing $260,000, or about half as much as a Ferrari or Lambo and about the same as a similarly powerful 911.The V8 engine is magnificent. With no need of exhaust or crank-driven supercharging, the unit still makes more than 400 horsepower, sufficient to propel the beast to the legal limit in 4.5 seconds and on to 300kmh if a long enough track is handy.Bonuses to be gained from its lack of supercharging are that the engine has not only more linear power delivery, but also a voice that's not strangulated by plumbing. Thus its inlet and exhaust beat is a pure, deep and visceral sound, with the lilt and descant as you go through the gears rendering the terrific stereo almost redundant.
Full enjoyment of the R8's talent is very much at the behest of your footwear. Any shoe with a prominent welt tends to make the left foot snag between the clutch pedal and footrest, while on the right, it is possible to brush the brake when prodding the throttle.The pedals are undeniably close-set, but wearing my old Loakes loafers all of a sudden the drivetrain becomes smoother, gearshifts slicker and progress more relaxed.You could eschew the manual gearbox, complete with its sexy slotted alloy gate, by opting for Audi's sequential-shift R-tronic, which is the company's take on VW's DSG twin-clutch electronic manual system.It's no gimmick, works well, and if you have big feet, this might be the only R8 you can drive.Once you've sorted your footwear and driving position, you'll find slicing – literally with that alloy gate – through the gears a second-nature affair. The engine may lack the lazy flexibility of its lesser versions, but that's not what the R8 is all about and keeping the free-revving V8 on the boil is all part of the fun, not only because of its seat-crushing acceleration but also because it makes such a wonderful racket while providing it. It's very tractable and feels less quick than it is, but there's no doubt that the car will hit 100kmh in its quoted 4.5 seconds, thanks to its quattro all- wheel-drive system and the traction delivered by having an engine mounted where it is.Unlike many powerful mid- engined cars, the R8 does not display too much low-speed understeer, needing to be constantly compensated for by wheel or throttle. Even when trickling at low speed around town, the car goes exactly where it's pointed, though if you're stuck by a non-signposted road- works as I was, you'll soon discover that the weakest point of the car is its tight steering lock – I had to make an eight-point turn.
On the open road, the R8 really comes to life. In the Canterbury foot hills, coursing through those addictive gorge roads, the Audi is as faithful as they come. The massive grip afforded by 11.5-inch wide rear tyres is remarkable, while the narrower front pair transmit a lucid, tactile "picture" through the wheelrim of the surface below, to the extent that you'll detect the tiniest of road repairs before you even see them. Despite all four wheels being driven, the R8 does not handle like the A4-based RS4 that uses the same engine. It's much more power adjustable than that and with its rearward-biased weight distribution, the R8's tail will smoothly ease out into oversteer, but only if you take time to switch out the car's standard ESP system. The big confidence-builder is the way the car's reactions are telegraphed to the driver. Nothing occurs too quickly, so the transition from slight understeer through neutrality to eventual rear-end breakaway is gradual, linear and predictable. Of mid-engined cars I've experienced, the R8 is the easiest ever to drive.
What really sets the R8 apart from its Ferrari and Lamborghini competitors and to a lesser extent Porsche's 911 is the Audi's uncanny ride quality. The Audi has a magnetic ride system, also used by Cadillac and some HSV Holdens. It works by allowing the level of magnetism of particles suspended in the R8's shock absorbers to slacken or stiffen the fluid according to the speed and frequency of compression. You can switch the system off, but you won't want to, as it really does allow the R8 to glide effortlessly over bumps and holes that would jar the suspension – and occupants – of lesser cars. It also means that the car is not knocked off-line by changes in road surface and despite its massive rubber, the R8 is no more prone to tramlining than a family sedan.The car's ride quality also contributes to the refreshingly quiet cruising demeanour. Throttled back to a 100kmh cruise at 2600rpm in sixth, the Audi sighs quietly along, though the volcanic power of its V8 engine can be made to erupt into its full sound signature at any time.The cabin is good to look at and live in. There's classy dark carbon fibre and leather lining everything, with classy brightwork around the shift gate, instruments and sound system to add some subtle relief.Being mid-engined, the R8's rearward visibility is less than ideal, but better than other cars of similar configuration, so its in-town driveability is easy enough. In town at night, gatherings of seen-it-all teens and other pavement strollers give the car gestures of appreciation, and when you stop at the lights, they even step off the pavement to look at the illuminated engine compartment.It engages the driver completely, strikes up conversations from both sexes and all ages and engenders opinions wherever you park.Some don't like all the slats and many argue about the decorative slash of contrast material on the R8's rear side quarters – ours was carbon fibre on plain silver and there are other combinations using alloy or paint. But no-one argues about the stance, shape and basic design. No matter how beautiful it is to look at, it's even more beautiful to drive. Even if it requires a good pair of shoes to get the best out of it.
