Audi R8 V10 5.2-litre FSI 2009 Pictures 
Man,what a car!
If you looked at the demographics of those who buy a supercar the majority would be men. Now this isn’t a sexist thing and I haven’t plucked that statistic out of the air, it actually happens to be the truth. And have you ever asked yourself why? Well, if you haven’t let me throw-in my two-penny worth.
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In my humble opinion there are three very distinct deciding areas for men when it comes to buying a piece of automobile exotica. The first is easy; speed, it seems women are a lot more patient when it comes to gratification. Us? We’ll wait a matter of seconds and are shallow enough to pay a six figure sum for the privilege. Next, is motorway trumping. No, not a game of who can fart the loudest around the M25, rather a case of ‘mine’s bigger and better than yours ’. You’re driving along in your F430 and look over to see a Jag XKR and you know your Fezza is faster and cost twice as much. Having your pretty other-half driving your Super car is just another showy example of how great a provider you are. Crazy as it is, even if the woman is loaded enough to walk in to a show room and lay down a deposit on her own this would be a terrible dent to our manhood. Which brings me to area three; if I drive this car, will I be more alluring to the fairer of the sex? Now, to my knowledge, no woman has ever brought a car with the view she might get a bit more action in the bedroom department but I’d very much like to be proved wrong on this! Until then the recent survey undertaken by 100 men on why they would want to own a supercar tends to back up my wildly sweeping generalisations: Speed, looks and sex appeal are a man’s top three answers.
But here’s the thing, Audi, with the R8 have actually got a car which appeals to both men and women. From the male perspective the new V10 is going to tick the box for speed, 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and a power output which puts the DB9, XKR, M6 and Porsche 3.6 turbo to shame. From the female`s viewpoint; the R8 has a refined, seductive power; gentlemanly-like if you will. Then we get to looks; it isn’t as beautifully crafted as a Lambo or a Ferrari, (and from certain angles looks a bit ungainly) but it has something which makes people take notice. Think of it as an automotive version of the Mona Lisa – there’s something about it which is unfathomably alluring. Whether Audi, wittingly or unwittingly, knew what they were doing when they produced the R8, the fact of the matter is everyone wants one. And now it’s just got so much better with the V10.
As previously mentioned, this R8 can bare its teeth against the cream of the crop but it is not just all about top-end speed. The hand built V10 also has an unprecedented amount of range in all of its gears. Because is generates so much mid-range torque it can quite happily be left in the top cog, sixth, around town, travelling no more than 30mph. Having said that, when you do accelerate through the gears, the DSG flappy-paddle gearbox is much the smoother. The manual, for all its pseudo-Ferrari chrome gate and clunkiness, just doesn’t cope well with 390lb of torque going through it. There’s a jarring between changes and after a while a feeling of seasick nausea starts to become apparent.
Then there’s the noise. No supercar worth its weight will go about its business meekly, and the R8 V10 doesn’t either. Start it up and it sounds as if someone has stood on Cerberus’s paw. Push on a bit more and the noise resonating from the exhaust pipes becomes a melodic, addictive, grumble.
The one thing which was surprising is the cabin. To be honest there’s nothing wrong with it except it looks much the same as every other Audi. Yes, there are bits of carbon stuck on here and there which sort of gives it a supercar feel, however the rest is very much as you would find in a TT or A5. Now call me old fashioned, but if I had just invested the thick-end of £100,000 on this car I would want something a little different from an A6.
There is a question bugging me; why would you want the V10 over the 4.2? Both are capable of going far fast than the law will allow, both have the Quattro 4WD which means they handle like they were sired by Enzo Ferrari, and both appear very similar to each other. Except one is twenty-two thousand pounds dearer. Oh, I forgot, the V10 is 0.5 second faster and will go 10mph faster. So is that worth the extra money? To be honest, I’m not sure it is. After all, all I want is car which goes fast, looks good and girls will think I’m a sexgod when I drive it. When all is said and done, the R8 4.2 will do exactly that for a lot less money.
CAR MAKE & MODEL
Audi R8 V10 5.2-litre FSI 2009 Pictures
CAR REF NUMBER
22088
CAR COLOUR
White
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