I shocked myself by not loving this 2011 Audi R8 Spyder with the 4.2-liter V8. I still like it a lot, so don't get me wrong--it's gorgeous to look at inside and out, well-built and plenty fast. The cockpit is comfortable, and it's easy to drive hard because there's traction galore. I came nowhere near its maximum; one really can't on public roads on a drive home and back to the office. I thought the chassis was nice and stiff for a ragtop, and there's insane stopping power that doesn't upset the chassis in the slightest.
So why don't I love it? Because it doesn't move me like a Porsche 911 Turbo convertible (which, to my astonishment, costs less than this) or even an S, and for this kind of dough it should. The R8 has a comfortable, Audi-like ride, almost like that of the company's sedans, when you're just cruising along. The R8 can be driven like any ol' car, as sedately as you'd like.
And that's the thing: It feels like a lot of other Audis. In other words, in terms of tactility and feel through the pedals (and outright surges of power), the Porsche just performs on a level that this Audi simply can't achieve. The 911 family just feels more alive than this car.
I realize it's stupid to say, "Well, I can get the Porsche for less." People in the market for the Audi can probably afford the Porsche as well, and in fact, that might be the ultimate solution--have both.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG:
Wes makes some excellent points about this R8 Spyder 4.2. The V8 with "only" 430 hp doesn't provide the wallop you expect a $160,000 supercar to possess. On the plus side, the exhaust note at wide-open throttle is magnificent.
We had plenty of time with the R8 coupe with the V8 during our long-term stint a couple years back. While I loved that car for its looks and its ability to play the part of comfortable cruiser and world-class corner carver when pushed, a drive of the 5.2-liter V10 version ruined the lesser R8 for me a little.
The extra thrust from the V10 makes you wonder why Audi even bothers throwing the V8 in this car. A flagship performance car should move you and make your jaw drop. The V8 just doesn't do that to me. Of course, I do know why Audi offers the 4.2 as the base-price difference between the V8 and the V10 on the Spyder is a hefty $33,300.
No matter, I was still impressed with this Spyder's chassis, which is impressively stiff without the fixed roof above you. You can thank reinforcements to the sills, tunnel, pillars and floorpan. Granted, I didn't push the car particularly hard on my damp night, but the car felt R8-solid.
Steering is direct with nice weight tuned into the wheel. The suspension keeps the car planted in sport mode, and the gated shifter on the six-speed manual transmission is a joy to use. One strong suit of the V8, besides its stellar exhaust note, is that throttle response is sensational.
Where the R8 really captivates is in its looks. It stands outs and certainly looks the supercar part. And I suppose casual observers won't pay attention to the R8 being a V8 model instead of the V10. But from behind the wheel, the driver just doesn't feel as involved, which is a shame from an enthusiast point of view.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART:
While comparing this Audi R8 Spyder to a Porsche 911cabriolet is easy, I'm not sure it's apples to apples. The R8 convertible is truly a limited-edition model. Maybe a couple hundred cars are destined to come to the United States? Maybe? And from a pure "wow" factor, the R8 tops the 911. No disrespect to the 911 at all, but the R8 just has the look of an exotic supercar. While the 911 behaves as a supercar, its look has been constantly refined for five decades, so it doesn't deliver the knockout punch the R8 does visually.
As Wes mentioned, the R8 is extremely competent in everything it does--cornering, stopping and accelerating. Granted, the car would be way more fun with the two additional cylinders, but this car is no slouch. And I, for one, love the gated manual shifter, although I pinched my little finger while selecting reverse one time.
The convertible-top operation is as smooth and straightforward as can be. One switch does everything. And I remembered from going on the car's launch a couple of years ago that one can operate the top while moving, a fact that came in handy this morning as the rain started to come down while pulling up to a stop sign. One push of the console-mounted button and, about 15 seconds later, the top was in place. I also like the ability to raise and lower the rear window with the push of a button.
One of the nice design elements in the R8 hardtop is seeing the engine under the rear cover. That's lost on the convertible model since the space is taken up by the top mechanism. But if convertibles are your thing, this is really a great one to have. Easy operation and it looks terrific, especially with the top down.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER:
Taken on its own merits, the R8 is a guaranteed smile producer, without too much of the supercar baggage. Sure, you have to deal with the looks, stares and crowds of people asking questions, but for the most part, the car is fairly sane to drive. And sane is good, especially in a car that urges you to push the edge of insanity.
I enjoyed the top-down drive, and I think the car--like most convertibles--looks best with the top stowed away. But with the top up, the car is still a blast to drive, and I particularly like the fact that the rear window will roll down, allowing all of the aural delights of a convertible, but in a less windblown package.
The car reminds me of our long-term Audi S4, on a low dose of steroids. I could certainly make do with a mere eight cylinders.
NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE:
The clink of the gate of the six-speed manual, the weight of the steering wheel, the immediate bite of the brakes--the R8 Sypder rewards the driver who likes to be engaged yet also seeks to travel in comfort.
My favorite interaction with the R8 came from the shifter. It was easy to operate, the clutch was nicely weighted, and I truly loved the ultramodern yet slightly old-school manner in which the driver can thwack into gear. There's nothing jarring about it; it's simply a satisfying sound. The transmission itself is silky, but that gearbox makes it even more of a drive thanks to the tactile experience for the operator.
The looks and aesthetics of the R8 Spyder are second to none. Viewed from the louvered engine cover in the rear, this thing looks like an open-air missile. The blades on the doors, the headlights and signature grille--I think the R8 is the definition of halo car.
I opened the top for the drive into work, and it's an intricate, choreographed process that is transfixing to watch. With the windows up and the ambient temperatures hovering in the 60s as the sun kissed the teardrop gauges, it was truly car catharsis.
The interior, with its sleek, cocooning carbon-fiber inserts, looks as athletic as the exterior. Really, the R8 is a very usable supercar, but at the same time downshifting and summoning the superlative revs makes one feel like a pilot. And that's how a driver should feel.
MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON:
Some of you guys are talking like you've never driven this car before--we had an R8 coupe long-term tester for a year, and frankly, I don't see any significant changes to make me feel any different this time around.
Everyone told me I was nuts when I dared to suggest the R8 coupe was a bit too docile, too typically Audi-like, to make its driver feel as though he or she were piloting one of the world's finest performance cars. Yet now, a couple years later, I'm starting to see even Raynal (!) coming around to my point of view.
That impression remains in this Spyder. However, while I usually prefer a given car's coupe form over its convertible version, the opposite is true for me in this case. With the top down, the R8 gets an injection of additional exotic flavor, and it certainly causes fits of attention and admiration from pedestrians, fellow drivers, valets and everyone else. The chassis remains quite stiff, and I never noticed any significant flex or cowl shake.
As my colleagues mention, it's very cool to lower the sliver of glass--even with the top up--that masquerades as the rear window. But if you don't drop the roof completely, you're missing out. The V8, while still an underwhelming performer in a car of this ilk, makes hypnotic mechanical sounds and comes with an equally satisfying growl of an exhaust tone. Open the throttle all the way--hard--while, say, driving through a tunnel or beneath a viaduct, and even the worst of days melts away.
The entire Spyder feels and sounds mechanical, from the metallic clink of the goodness-that's-fun gated shifter to the direct action of precise steering control and strong brake action. The driving position is spot-on as well; even for this six-foot-one driver, it's perfect and never tiring. That is a good thing, because you drive this car all-out, hard as can be at every opportunity without ever scaring yourself or feeling out of control or in danger of imminent disaster.
Still, there's just an element missing from the V8-powered R8, coupe or Spyder. Raynal brings up 911s, and Hart says it might not be the best comparison. But I back Raynal, because everything the R8 boasts over the Porsche--more exclusivity and an arguably sexier body--don't mean a damn thing to me when I'm lucky enough to be the one who is flat-out behind the chunky steering wheel.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR DAVID ARNOUTS:
My expectations of the R8 Spyder were on the low side as far as expensive sports cars go. I had in my mind that it was "only the V8." My impressions, however, were blown away after a little bit of seat time.
Once inside the R8 the fit was tight, like an expensive leather driving glove. It matches the nimble and aggressive exterior quite well. To echo Bob's thoughts, the sane nature of the car is a bit surprising when in commute conditions, but when more is needed, the V8 delivers quite well, certainly beyond my limits as a driver.
The audible sound of the 4.2-liter V8 is addictive with the top down. One should be prepared to pay for that vice with an increased amount of attention in the form of speeding violations.
My practical side says this would be all I could want or need from an R8--the convertible top for the gorgeous days and nights, and the all-wheel drive is a perfect prescription for making it through the drudgery of a Michigan winter.
2011 Audi R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI
Base Price: $131,950
As-Tested Price: $159,950
Drivetrain: 4.2-liter V8; AWD, six-speed manual
Output: 430 hp @ 7,800 rpm, 317 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,825 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 14/13.2 mpg
Options: Carbon-fiber sigma exterior package ($8,100); enhanced leather packaged ($5,500); carbon-fiber sigma interior inlays ($2,500); Audi navigation system ($2,100); convenience package ($2,100); Bang & Olufsen premium sound system ($1,800); carbon-fiber engine-compartment inlays ($1,800); carbon-fiber sigma exterior mirrors ($1,400); carbon-fiber sigma door sill inserts ($1,050); 19-inch titanium-finish alloy wheels ($500); black leather package with contrast stitching ($250); perforated sport steering wheel ($250)
