Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
After driving an Audi R8 for a year, the thought of improving it wasn't exactly at the top of our minds. Other than the clunky automatic gearbox, it was nearly flawless. It was well built, easy to drive every day and yet still a thing to behold on a lonely back road. As exotics go, it was one of the best ever.
Like any good company looking to make more money, Audi was already looking for ways to improve the R8 and sell more of them at a higher price. The most obvious course of action? Chop the roof off. No small task given its aluminum spaceframe chassis, but the engineers took their time and came up with a soft-top mechanism that actually looks surprisingly good.
Then again, chopping the roof off is the easy part. Maintaining the car's driving dynamics is quite another. To see how successful Audi's engineers were, we put it through our usual battery of tests to see how the new R8 V10 Spyder handles itself. The results after the jump.
Vehicle: 2011 Audi R8 Spyder
Odometer: 1,676
Date: 8/31/10
Driver: Josh Jacquot
Base Price (with destination and tax): $165,250
Options: Carbon-Fiber Sigma Exterior Package ($8,000); Enhanced Leather Package ($3,500); Carbon-Fiber Sigma Interior Inlays ($2,500); Carbon-Fiber Exterior Mirrors ($1,400); Carbon-Fiber Sigma Door Inserts ($1,050); Daytona Gray Pearl Effect Paint/Black Roof ($650).
Price as tested: $182,450
Specifications:
Drive Type: All-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Six-speed manual
Engine Type: Direct-injection V10
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 5,204/317.6
Redline (rpm): 8,700
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 525 @ 8,000
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 391 @ 6,500
Brake Type (front): Ventilated disc with eight-piston fixed calipers
Brake Type (rear): Ventilated disc with four-piston fixed calipers
Steering System: Hydraulic rack and pinion
Suspension Type (front): Double wishbone
Suspension Type (rear): Double wishbone
Tire Size (front): 235/35ZR19 91Y
Tire Size (rear): 295/30ZR19 100Y
Tire Brand: Pirelli
Tire Model: P Zero
Tire Type: Asymmetrical Summer Performance
Wheel Size: 19-by-8.5 inches front, 19-by-11 inches rear
Wheel Material (front/rear): Aluminum
As Tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,926
Test Results:
0 - 30 (sec): 1.7
0 - 45 (sec): 2.5
0 - 60 (sec): 3.9
0 - 75 (sec): 5.7
1/4 Mile (sec @ mph): 12.0 @ 118
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 3.7
30 - 0 (ft): 27
60 - 0 (ft): 108
Slalom (mph): 72.7 stability off, 71.5 on
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.97 stability off, 0.96 trac on
Db @ Idle: 51.5
Db @ Full Throttle: 89.5
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 70.9
Db @ 70 mph Cruise top open: 78.6
Acceleration Comments: Best launch by pinning rev limiter at 7K and dropping the clutch. Initial torque hit is modulated electronically and then fed back in to near-perfect wheelspin. Third gear can't be rushed too much because metal gate doesn't allow any shortcutting. It's still worth having, however. Most satisfying engine sound in recent months.
Braking Comments: Brakes clearly need some heat before distances are optimized. Then they stabilize at 106/107. Pedal feel is solid and dead consistent.
Handling Comments: Skid pad: Stability on produces wildly erratic results here. Turn it off, however, and the R8 snaps right back to the driver's car that it truly is. Can be easily coaxed into tail-out slides which are very easy to control for an AWD car. Awesome.
Slalom: Stability on is, surprisingly, quite good here relative to the skid pad. Not too intrusive. Trims just the right amount of throttle without punishing results. Beating ESC isn't easy but can be done with focus. Very, very easy to be consistent.
subytrojan says:
09:04 PM, 08/31/10
V10 exhaust note > *
dearsx says:
11:57 PM, 08/31/10
Such a heavy car with such ability to move, my goodness. I still don't think I like the convertible, yet I gotta say its an interesting achievement.
justlovecars says:
05:44 AM, 09/ 1/10
cha ching....beautiful car though
wrinklebump says:
05:55 AM, 09/ 1/10
Still a beautiful car that's aged remarkably well. Audi's only truly compelling design outside the TT.
fuhteng says:
06:12 AM, 09/ 1/10
Beautiful, even if I think the coupe is prettier. How does a 2-door super car weigh almost 2 tons? I love the exhaust note too! I'm an American V8 guy but I prefer the sound of European screamers.
felonious says:
08:50 AM, 09/ 1/10
Drooool. The only Audi I'd consider buying, these days. (Spoken from experience.)
half_ton says:
09:27 AM, 09/ 1/10
Can I PLEASE have a job with you guys!?!?!?
exnevadan says:
09:52 AM, 09/ 1/10
which was quicker in the slalom, the car or the (vertigo inducing) zoom out by the camera operator?
prefer coupe and am w/ felonious on buying only this from Audi (no fear of that, $$$). Ten years w/ an A4 turned me off to the make, though they have the best looking line up sold in the USA.
ptcdawg says:
11:11 AM, 09/ 1/10
It's a real manual transmission...gotta love that.
andy999 says:
11:31 AM, 09/ 1/10
Very impressive, although, I do like the styling of the hardtop coupe better. The roofline shape, and roof panel meeting the rear deck is part of the styling allure which made the R8 one of the best looking exotic cars available. I am sure, that there will be a handful of persons who will buy both the coupe and "spyder", just because they can. It does sound amazing, very nice!!!
sideswiper says:
01:08 PM, 09/ 1/10
absolutely @##$#%#ing ridiculous.
lt1boy says:
03:41 PM, 09/ 1/10
GT-R is faster.
cr_driver says:
04:45 PM, 09/ 1/10
Oh boy, lovely.
sherief says:
06:07 PM, 09/ 1/10
"GT-R is faster."
...so?
desmolicious says:
06:45 PM, 09/ 1/10
"Best launch by pinning rev limiter at 7K and dropping the clutch. Initial torque hit is modulated electronically and then fed back in to near-perfect wheelspin."
Does that damage the car doing that? (clutch/transmission etc)
jerseyguy1 says:
09:01 AM, 09/ 2/10
Blind spot out the left and right rear quarters has got to be brutal. It is in my 911 cab and this looks to be even worse.
A car that has aged remarkably well? 4 or 5 years old. Talk to me about the 911 design or even the Corvette. Those designs have aged remarkably well, especially the 911, but then again I've been driving those beasties since 1973.
rsxs says:
09:35 AM, 09/ 2/10
very impressive
derrell says:
11:21 AM, 09/ 2/10
This is such a beautiful piece of machinery. Love the sound of those 10 cylinders, unique styling, SMART engineers who put all this POWER through 4 WHEELS, and its an Audi, what can I say!! Im a fan of whatever they make..!!
911chris says:
03:56 AM, 09/ 3/10
It's an awesome car! Here in Germany i Saw one of these some weeks ago. It is even looking much better than on these photos, I can promise.
ns5 says:
09:45 PM, 09/11/10
@lt1boy
So?
The GT-R isn't a convertible, the front end is ugly as sin, and the dashboard is strange, while the steering wheel is downright comical.
And the GT-R should be faster. It has AWD, and launch control. It would be pretty sad if it wasn't.