The 2017 AUDI R8 Is A Roaring Wild Ride

Audi’s R8 is always a beautiful sight to behold, but with the 2016 and 2017 models they’ve clearly outdone themselves. These models call back to the glory of the R8 from 2007 and picks up where it left off to give you everything you could possibly want in a sports car, and more. The base engine is a V10 with all-wheel drive and luxurious interior features that will make you wonder if you’re on a yacht, or the track, with your more than 610 horsepower.

The new 5.2 liter V10 is the most powerful engine ever put in to regular production by Audi, and allows it to rev from idle to the redline 85000 RPM in 0.66 seconds. You’re not driving a car; you’re riding a lion strapped to a rocket booster with 413 pounds of raw torque, and a 4G LTE wireless hotspot. It’s an interesting conjunction of opposites, seemingly unrestrained raw force that’s calmly in your control, with all of the amenities of the modern age at your fingertips. An apt comparison would be shoving a furious weasel down your underpants during a fancy dinner party; where implacable power meets class and distinction.

There are no traditional gauges- in their place sits a gorgeous fully customizable 12.3 inch lcd display. The R8 offers only a coupe version for now, admittedly one which can go from 0-60 in 2.9 seconds which in the process of revving sounds like a symphony tuning their instruments, a prelude to raw power. The Interior is dressed in velvety black leather, with a buttery smooth ride despite the non-adjustable shocks. The interior is distinctive and assertive, but falls short of brutish; a refined look that’s almost a juxtaposition of a Lamborghini for which it shares its trans-axle and four wheel drive system.  Drivers will have a small space behind the seats for suitcases or a golf club bag and while fuel economy isn’t the first thing to mind, the new R8 offers a 22 highway mpg for trips.

Overall, the striking new R8 handles absolutely superb and is an elegant addition to the Audi family. The additions made are welcome and will provide a ride that is comfortable, while still allowing you the pure unadulterated joy of the chase that comes from driving this car as it eats up the road.