The R8 handles brilliantly too. The chassis is tight and the steering is responsive and offers a lot of feedback.
It’s a wonder that Audi, the same company that makes family estates like the A6 Avant that I drove a couple of months back, can also make something as communicative as the R8.
When you are done thrashing the engine and throwing the R8 into corners, you can dial everything back to Comfort mode and the R8 becomes a completely different animal. The engine quietens down, the gear shifts become gentler, and the R8 just becomes an easy and relaxing car to drive.
It has decent carrying capacity for a mid-engine supercar too. You won’t be able to fit golf bags into the R8, but the front luggage compartment is big enough for a couple of travel bags.
There’s some storage space behind the seats, which is useful for smaller stuff like groceries. Despite its low ride height, I didn’t encounter any problems clearing humps or entering/exiting carparks.
The bigger issue with using the R8 on a daily basis is actually its doors. Like most coupes, they are very long. If you park too close next to anything, you will have difficulties opening the door and getting out.
In summary, the new R8 lives up to the high expectations set by its predecessor. It may not be as goodlooking and can be quite complicated to use, but it drives like a dream and is actually practical for a mid-engined supercar. And then there’s that wonderful naturally aspirated V10, which is worth the price of admission alone.
