By Andrew Ganz
Friday, Aug 20th, 2010 @ 12:18 pm

It’s not uncommon for an automaker to make an also-ran – or at least a reasonably respectable performer – into a genuinely fine automobile with the addition of just one simple feature. We’ve seen that many times – the diesel TDI engine, for example, makes VW’s humble Jetta into a superstar.

But making one of the greatest vehicles ever built even better? Now that would be a feat.

Among the best sports cars to ever terrorize two-lane byways, the Audi R8 is a magical sports car. Made even better with the availability of a Lamborghini -based V10 about a year ago, the R8 makes other supercars seem superfluous.

Yet it takes just one feature to make an Audi R8 V10 even better: A droppable soft top and a roll-down rear window. Here’s why.

The sound and style of the gods
Tricky exhaust and intake plumbing can make pretty much any engine growl like the soundtrack to Ronin. Sure, it’s cheating, but it’s like working on a research paper with that really studious and not so bad looking girl from class. She’s doing all the work, but you’re enjoying the ride.

Unfortunately, when an engine is located just behind the passenger compartment, the engine’s mechanical noises overwhelm the efforts an automaker might have made to make an exhaust burble and snap at all the right times.

And that’s where the Audi R8 V10 Spyder shines. Introduced a heck of a long time ago at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the roadster R8 has just arrived in North America. Exclusively offered with Audi ’s race-proven V10 and either a traditional six-speed manual or a $9,100 R-Tronic single-clutch semi-automatic transmission, the R8 V10 Spyder is more than just a ride for sun worshippers.

Audi estimates that the majority of R8 sales (less than 1,000 annually in the United States) will be Spyders – and with good reason. The supercar market has always been as much about looking good as it has been about driving well. If looks were all that mattered, the R8 Spyder would be a real winner.

From many angles, the R8 Spyder is nearly identical to the hardtop. Its front fascia, much of its side profile and its rump are virtually indistinguishable from the V10 coupe, which has a few styling elements to set it apart from the standard R8 V8.

Those familiar with the breed will instantly notice that the R8 hardtop’s distinctive sideblade vanished along with the metal roof. While its presences greatly helps the R8 hardtop get over a few awkward angles, it’s simply not needed in the roadster, which uses its long rear shelf behind the passenger compartment to its advantage. Look closely and you’ll see some Porsche Carrera GT to the rear of the R8 Spyder’s side profile. Beautifully balanced, it looks as good with its top raised as it does in full droptop mode.

As with the outside, the R8 Spyder’s interior is essentially carried over from the hardtop – with a few exceptions. Where the hardtop has some storage space behind the front seats, that space is taken up by the Spyder’s fast-folding (19 seconds at up to 31 mph) insulated soft top. Otherwise – aside from a special coating said to make the leather seats keep a lower ambient temperature when exposed to the sun (we didn’t notice much difference in 100 degree heat outside of San Diego) – the cabin is the same.

That means it’s an acceptable mish-mash of standard Audi style and switchgear. The seats themselves are firmly supportive, but not restrictive as you might find in a Ferrari , while the seating position offers commendable visibility. A multi-speaker Bang & Olufson audio system with navigation and iPod-connectability is standard, as is single-zone automatic climate control. Audi says that many buyers will custom-tailor their vehicles through the company’s personalization program. Matching your R8′s interior to your wife’s favorite nail polish shade comes at a price, of course.

Perhaps our only gripe with the R8′s interior centers around its Italian-styled metal-gated gear lever with the six-speed stick. While some like the clink-clink it makes when shifting, we found ourselves instinctively slowing gear changes to keep the racket down. It’s an acquired taste.

Awakening the beast
We won’t hide our love for the R8′s V10 engine – in any bodystyle. In the coupe, we’ve learned that it builds most of its power above 4,500 rpm. But with a quite acceptable 525 horsepower (at 8,000 rpm) and 391 lb-ft. of torque (at 6,500 rpm), the R8 Spyder never lacks for motivation. Despite the soft top, Audi says that the R8 Spyder will hit 195 mph with its top raised. That’s a mere 2 mph penalty compared to the coupe. As for acceleration, 60 mph flies by just four seconds after a complete stop.

Breathtaking.

And the six-speed stick is an absolute joy to put through its paces. A perfectly weighted clutch reveals its positive engagement point, while the shift lever itself generally slips nicely into gears – with only a mild clink-clink on faster shifts. We didn’t spend any time in an R Tronic-equipped R8, but we have been less enthralled with that transmission. Although it’s a blast on the track, where its fast shifts come into play, it can surge and balk in city driving. Stick with the stick.

The biggest compliment we could possibly lay on this supercar? It is as happy dawdling around town in high gear at low rpms as it is screaming all the way to its 8,700 maximum rpm.

Like its hardtop sibling, the R8 Spyder is unquestionably one of the world’s greatest handling cars ever built. Simply telepathic steering helps point the way in an almost sublime fashion. Body roll is nonexistent, yet the two-way adjustable ride (standard and sport) is never punishing. Pushed hard into a corner on a tight switchback, like those just outside of Julian, California, on state highway 78 before the Anza-Borrego Desert, the R8 responds instantly and instinctively.

Equipped with a specially-tuned all-wheel-drive system, the R8 sends most of its power to rear wheels.

Top-up, the R8 Spyder drives 100 percent the same as the R8 hardtop. But glory is just seconds away. A center console-mounted switch lowers a glass heated rear window that measures just a few inches in height. With this window tucked away into the bodywork, the V10′s exhaust system comes to life. Where the standard coupe is almost too refined – and too muffled – the Spyder comes alive. You’ll want to keep the rpms above about 3,000 to really enjoy the growl. Want even more? A mere 19 seconds after the press of another center console mounted button results in a true open-air feeling. Highway speed wind buffeting is acceptably low – enough so that Audi says you can still enjoy Bluetooth conversations thanks to trick microphones integrated into the seatbelt shoulder harnesses.

We were too captivated with the sound of the exhaust and the immediacy of the driving experience to even bother sharing our excitement.

Leftlane’s bottom line
The world’s most livable supercar just got better. Imagine that. Although you could buy a Chevy Cobalt to drive on rainy days for the $13,500 premium Audi asks for the R8 Spyder over the standard coupe, we can’t even fathom making such a decision. A fully-insulated top makes the Spyder absolutely as usable as the hardtop, but its droppable roof and slide-down rear window make it the obvious choice for supercar buyers.

Forget the Ferrari: Audi’s R8 is so much smart er.

Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.

20 Comments
  

LeftLane

Login

  • LeftLane

    Copyright © 2005 - 2012 Left lane News.
    All rights reserved.