The Audi R8 is the companies attempt to enter into the top end sports car market. In this regard they have been spectacularly successful. The R8 can compete with any car in the world in terms of performance. Despite this there is still a question in a lot of people’s minds about whether or not the Audi R8 is a true sports car.
There is good reason to question a sports car from Audi, they aren’t exactly known for building sports cars. Good quality performance sedans absolutely but not sports cars. However they do have some experience in the area. For over a decade no Audi have dominated the world of sports car racing. They have taken what they have learned from the many Le Mans wins and put it into the R8. The result is a car that really can’t be doubted as a sports car. In reality it is more of a super car than a sports car.
The Audi R8 is actually based on the same platform as the Lamborghini Gallardo so there is no doubt that it is going to be a high performance vehicle. This is combined with Audi’s all wheel drive system which is pretty much standard on all of their vehicles to produce a car that is widely regarded as the best handling sports car in the world. The car is very nimble and can get around corners very quickly. In fact there has even been some criticism that the car handles too well. The complaint is that you don’t really get the same feeling driving the R8 that you get with other high performance sports cars.
If there was one big question mark with the Audi R8 when it came out it was the engine. The early models came with just a V8 available in a class and price range where V10 and V12 engines are commonplace. Although the smaller engine proved capable of moving the car at speeds that are competitive with the other top sports cars there was clearly a demand for the bigger engine. As a result Audi now offer the R8 with a V10 engine as well.
The biggest issue that Audi faces with the R8 is actually their reputation. They have built one of the finest sports cars in the world and they are able to compete with the top super cars in the world. However they have priced the R8 quite a bit lower than other super cars. This puts the car in a bit of a class by itself. However this has largely been necessary because they just don’t have the brand recognition to price a car in the same class as Lamborghini and the other famous brands. The can build a car that belongs in this class but as long as they have a reputation for building reliable sedans rather than sports cars it is always going to be a tough sell.