A THING OF BEAUTY AUDI R8

A THING OF BEAUTY is a joy forever, wrote John Keats so gracefully, and he was talking about sheep and daffodils. Imagine the poetry he'd have spouted if he had gotten his mitts on the Audi R8, Car of the year. We knew it was a serious contender this past February when we drove one along Nevada's high desert highways. On those stark roads the R8 exhibited vast amount of power and incredibly precise steering. Later in the year we turned an R8 loose on virginia's long and winding Blue Ridge Parkway, barely experiencing a fraction of the performance this incredible engine can deliver. That driver sold us. Now's your chance to turn the key and listen to the 420bhp, 4.2-litter V8 symphony playing just behind your head. that's right, a mid engine Audi sports car. No wonder Porsche is nervously checking its rear view mirror. Move the six speed gated shifter into first (or opt for Audi's six speed R tronic automatic trans) and experience a zero to 60 time of 4.4 seconds, the quarter mile at 12.7 seconds and if you can find the road a to end of almost 190mph. The R8's interior boasts polished leather and carbon fiber trim, and the whole thing sits on 19 inch alloy wheels (go for the optional pireli PZero staggered tires). If you aren't quitr sold, this technical info should to the trick: The R8 is fitted, of course, with Audi's quattro AWD, but you also get ESP with Electronic Differential Lock, speed sensitive rock and pinion steering, double wishbone front and rear suspensions and Audi magnetic ride. Some of the chassis's tech borrowed from the Lamborghini Gallardo (both Lambo and Audi are part of the VW Group), but the R8's sonically crafted exhaust is an Audi original, as are those unusual side panels behind the air intake.
Audi therefore continues to support sport prototypes and the DTM. With the Audi R8 LMS, Audi also offers customer teams a racing car incorporating high-quality technology and the typical Audi traits but which is, however, also easy to operate.