One thing I dig about our medium-term 2008 Audi R8 is how light it feels from the driver seat. The Nissan GT-R feels lighter than 3,900 lbs, but it's still obviously a substantial car. The Corvette Z06 somehow doesn't feel notably lighter than the GT-R, despite being the lightest of the bunch by a longshot (3,162 lbs). But the 3,634-lb R8 -- trust us, we weighed it -- has a light-on-its-feet character in corners that the other two supercars just can't match. It feels compact, tossable and playful; the others feel a bit piggish by comparison.
Over at the Austrian's recent R8 post, however, three astute commenters gave voice to something I've thought from the first moment I laid eyes on the R8 in our garage: that front overhang is out of control! Go to Austria's post and check out the first picture -- looks like the car is about to tip forward and fall on its face, particularly given the clipped rear end. I know there's a (largely useless) frunk up there, but, dude. Those front wheels need to be moved about a foot closer to the front of the car.
Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 18,022 miles
pengwin says:
05:55 PM, 08/22/08
agreed, push the wheels forward more, maybe as far forward as the G8 and 3 series and it'll be a far more beautiful car
slickersdrip says:
09:51 PM, 08/22/08
Jeez, that ruined the car for me in the likes of the weird reverse light post about the M3. Unfortunately due to engineering this can't be remedied in a mid-cycle refresh... this will be a completely new platform style redesign.
cruiserhead1 says:
12:07 PM, 08/23/08
are there any mid-engine supercars with short front overhangs?
Lambos and Ferrari's all have long noses.
Maybe the upright Audi grile makes it more apparent in the R8.
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7driver says:
08:19 PM, 08/23/08
"are there any mid-engine supercars with short front overhangs?"
How about this one:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Lotus_340R-03.jpg
ekimfeenux says:
08:46 PM, 08/23/08
"How about this one:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Lotus_340R-03.jpg"
Well Lotus has always been the oddball of the super car world. Maybe it has something to do with how much power the car makes e.g. Ferrari's, Lambo's and the R8 all have at least 420 bhp and have the long noses while Lotus is... Lotus.
Bob Holland says:
07:34 AM, 08/24/08
Visually the large front overhang doesn't bother me. In fact I like it.
What would concern me, however, it the angle of approach of this car.
That's a term more often associated with trucks and SUVs. However, the R8, with it's large front overhang and and low ground clearance could be a problem with a steep driveway with an abrupt angle where it meets the street.
cruiserhead1 says:
09:59 AM, 08/24/08
the Lotus is no where near the same proportions as the R8. The R8 is closer to the classic mid-engine supercar proportions of Ferrari, Lambo, Ford GT, etc
It would just look stupid with a short nose. In reality, you just don't see the nose as some ugly, long snout.
karjunkie says:
03:47 AM, 08/25/08
I just saw the R8 in real life for the first time last week. I thought the car looked good from all angles. the only thing that looked a bit cheesy were the @@ shaped brake light design that lights up when braking. Other than that, the car looked sleek and purposeful.
chavis10 says:
07:01 AM, 08/25/08
Most Mid-engined cars have ridiculously long front overhangs. It has to do with balance/aerodynamics since the mass is pushed towards the center of the car.
carlisimo says:
04:21 PM, 08/25/08
Notice there isn't much sheet metal above the wheel wells. A shortened nose would've had to be higher (more snub nosed) or the wheels would've had to shrink.
CarGuy997 says:
03:36 PM, 02/ 5/09
I'm glad you pointed that out. I've hated the side profile of the R8 for a long time now and now I know why. It looks mis-proportioned because the nose is much too long. You finally laid my question to rest.