Road Test: 2009 Audi R8
In most parking lots, the Audi R8 can make just about any car look lackluster, but parked next to one of America’s resting war ships, would Audi’s supercar finally have met its match? After Audi tossed us the key for a 2009 R8, we were given the rare opportunity to view the sports car next to one of the Navy’s newest guided missile destroyers – the USS Winston S. Churchill. Even situated near one of America’s defenders, the R8 still managed to get a gleaming reaction from enlisted Navy personnel. Like Sir Winston Churchill himself, the R8 offers a delicate balance between a smooth luxury car (Churchill was an artist and Nobel Prize winning writer) and raw, performance-minded sports car (Churchill was an officer in the British Army and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II). Exaggerated likenesses aside, after just a week behind the wheel of this six-figure supercar, I’m not sure which task was more exhausting: getting in and out of the low-slung car or dealing with the hoards of gawkers and picture takers.
As far as pricing and performance go, the R8 competes mainly against the Nissan GT-R, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911, but in terms of styling it could probably take on the best from Italy. Like any car that can hit 60 miles per hour in first gear in about four seconds, the entry price for such styling and performance isn’t cheap. Bone stock, the 2009 R8 Base price for the 2009 Audi R8 quattro MT6 is a whopping $114,200 not including the $2,100 gas guzzler tax or the $1,200 destination charge. Our test model added a slew of options including almost $10,000 in carbon fiber for an as-tested price of $139,100.
2009 Audi R8 Exterior & Styling
Saying that the Audi R8 is an attention-getting car is most likely a gross understatement, but parked next to swath of light gray that is the Navy’s fleet of destroyers at the Mayport Naval Air Station, our Brilliant Red 2009 Audi R8 looked even more colorful. The car’s intense red hue was broken up only by the air intakes and grille up front, the rear air outlets for the engine compartment and the Audi R8’s signature sideblades. As if the R8’s design wasn't distinctive enough, Audi added its unique sideblades to the car’s profile which is available in body color Oxygen Silver or Carbon sigma – luckily, our car came with the latter as an additional option ($2,300). Up front, Audi’s signature trapezoidal grille is flanked by two massive air inlets to improve airflow to the brakes and Bi-Xenon headlamps that feature the unique look of the “eyeliner” LED daytime running lamps, while the rear vents and quadruple exhaust outlets garner most of the attention from the rear. In addition to the side blade, Audi also offers carbon fiber treatment in the engine bay for an additional $3,600. As if driving the car wasn’t fun enough, getting to see people’s smiles when they first see the R8 reminded me of the first time I saw a Lamborghini Countach when I was a child as both adults and children alike took pictures, gave thumbs up or just yelled “Nice car!” as the R8 rolled by.
2009 Audi R8 Interior
The R8 may be a world class sports car, but it’s still an Audi at heart and the small, two-passenger cabin definitely shows. Although the car was low to the ground making ingress and egress slightly more challenging than the average Audi vehicle, once inside, this supercar is focused 100 percent on luxury. For a car with such a performance purpose, the seats are surprisingly comfortable yet supportive during spirited driving and our test car came with optional ($5,500) enhanced leather package that added soft nappa leather to many interior surfaces including the seats, door panels and instrument panel. Not to say that the cabin reminded us of an Audi A8 or anything, but given the racing nature of this car, we were surprised at how few occupant compromises were made to engineer this car. Although it took a couple days to get used to the close proximity of the pedals, our biggest gripe about the R8’s cabin is the lack of a push-button starter.
To keep the noise and heat from the engine bay out of the passenger compartment, the R8 features a tempered glass panel, which, along with the engine’s glass panel, is heated to prevent fogging or frosting. Even at high speeds or heavy acceleration, the cabin is so quiet that the only way to really get a good listen to the engine’s high revving chorus is by lowering both door windows. For those not interested in the wonderful tune that the engine and the exhaust orchestrate, our test car came with a ($1,800) 12-speaker, 465-watt Bang & Olufsen® Sound System that was tuned specifically to the R8’s tight cabin. The R8’s Premium Package ($2,100) and Navigation Package ($2,000) added just about every technological goody available on an Audi.
In base form, the instrument panel is accented by a bright aluminum accent trim, but our test model added optional ($2,500) carbon fiber trim to the instrument panel and door panels matching the engine bay and sideblades. Finishing off the detail-oriented cabin, this R8 was also equipped with an optional ($1,300) black Alcantara headliner, which like the car’s persona, may have tip the scales to excess. While the trunk (under the front hood) only holds enough cargo to fit in a backpack, the cargo area behind the seats is big enough to accommodate a set of golf clubs.
2009 Audi R8 Performance & Handling
While the Navy’s destroyer has a 5”/62 caliber cannon mounted on its bow to display its authority, the R8 has a 4.2-liter FSI V-8 tucked under the rear hatch’s tempered glass. For nighttime display, the engine is illuminated by a set of LED lights that come one when the dome lamps are turned on or when the doors or rear hatch are opened. The direct-injected V-8 has a relatively low torque rating with 317 lb-ft available, but the 8,250 redline helps wring every last pony from the high-revving engine. A trick dual-clutch automatic transmission is available on the R8, but thankfully our car came the way a true supercar should… with a six-speed manual gearbox. Even the metallic gated shifter may have seemed raw and clunky, but it was probably the closest taste that most R8 drivers will be able to get of what it’s like to pilot Audi’s R10 Le Mans race car. As part of the optional Premium Package, this R8 was also equipped with hill start assist to help prevent rolling back or the embarrassment of stalling when taking off from an incline.
From a dead stop, the R8 launches like a jet airplane pinning both occupants back into their seats getting up to 60 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds and the car hit 100 mph in just a few additional seconds. Upon heavy acceleration and cornering, the Audi R8 maintains stellar traction thanks to Audi’s famed quattro® permanent all-wheel drive system. For added stability, a rear spoiler electronically pops up automatically or via a button to help plant the squatty rear end firmly at speeds over 60 mph. Getting up to speed may be quick and fun, but stopping is more important so Audi gave the R8 massive cross-drilled disc brakes at all four corners with eight piston Brembo® calipers up front and eight piston Brembo® calipers in the rear. To offer a more refined ride, the R8 uses Audi’s Magnetic Ride adaptive suspension to automatically dampen the four wheel independent suspension in either sport or standard mode.