Click above for more high-res shots of the Audi R8
The Audi R8 has supercar looks and red-hot demand, so if you want to own the stunning German two-seater, you'd best get to the back of the line. Buyers of the mid-engine Audi have picked up every model that will be made for months, which tells us what we already knew: the R8 is a legitimate smash hit. Oddly, Audi isn't specifying how many R8s it has sold since the vehicle's introduction, and it's likely the German automaker won't go out of its way to ramp up production and risk ruining the all-wheel-drive supercar's buzz-factor.
It's no surprise that the R8 is so successful on the sales floor, but the downside is that the vehicle's sustained popularity is keeping higher performance editions off the market. If a 420-hp 4.2L powerplant can take you to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, just imagine what a 580-hp twin-turbo V10 will do on dry pavement.
[Source: Inside Line]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
A&W @ May 7th 2008 8:40AM
This car makes a cool appearance in Iron Man as Tony Starks ride of choice. It looks so futuristic that the person I was with was shocked when I told them it is a real car.
SPG @ May 7th 2008 8:41AM
Yea sorry, I've been hoarding them in my lair.
Xcountryflyer @ May 7th 2008 12:09PM
Saw one for the first time on the road this weekend. Was so envious of the driver.
dustandechoes91 @ May 7th 2008 7:26PM
Me too, saw an all black one heading into downtown chicago.
britinknee @ May 7th 2008 8:46AM
that is one FUGLY car, lol who would buy that piece of crap? haha i mean its alright but i wouldnt spend 500k on a car that does 0-60 in 7 seconds. and i really dont get why car companies make sub 600hp cars, just to get to 150mph, you need about 700hp,
Seoultrain @ May 7th 2008 8:49AM
so many things wrong with that post. The only reason I'm replying is to ask everyone else not to dignify this with a response.
rouse42 @ May 7th 2008 8:54AM
+1
FSM @ May 7th 2008 8:55AM
LMAO I'll have what he's drinking.
Andrés Cid @ May 7th 2008 9:44AM
Huh?!?
J Net @ May 7th 2008 6:48PM
umm, no.
I have an 08' sti and it has no problems getting to 155 with 305 hp.
(not that i condone going that fast on public roads)
also your pricing is a tad off, actually about a 400% inflation over the real price.
Seoultrain @ May 7th 2008 8:48AM
I think the GT-R probably cut that V-10's ETA in half.
(not a fanboy post, I'd still rather have the V8 R8 over the Nissan)
britinknee @ May 7th 2008 9:00AM
haha cmon you guys i dont think aything was wrong except the 0-60 time i just wasnt thinking but i mentt 4.4 i mean, my pt GT witha v8 turbo can beat that and its still tippin in at like...5000 pounds i think? i might be wrong im not sure of the weightage
Mobius_1 @ May 7th 2008 9:29AM
It's not the figures, it's the fact you think this car is FUGLY, yes I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but dude, I think you need some glasses and/or a brain
PJ @ May 7th 2008 9:36AM
"Your" PT GT weighs about 3,100 lbs, has a 220-horse turbo four-cylinder, and does 0-60 in about 7 seconds.
Soccer Mom @ May 7th 2008 9:27AM
Probably one of the greatest supercars ever created - original beautiful recognizable design, affordable (for a supercar) pricetag and performance that beats that of 3x more expensive vehicles. And did I mention that it really stands out because of it's design?
ktibuk @ May 7th 2008 9:59AM
Coolness, beauty is subjective but this car costs the same as a Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 is a better car in objective measures.
Also a sports car made by a regular car maker is never the same as a sports car made by a sports car maker.
Whatever they do, a car made by BMW, Mercedes, Audi or Toyota or even Nissan, when it comes to sports cars it seems they can not compete with Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, etc.
M3 is always a "poor mans 911", SLK AMG55 can not compete against a boxter. And no matter what anybody says, any toyota (lexus) or a nissan (infinity) can come close to a ferrari or a lamborghini.
But I must admit this R8 is one that comes closests.
r8runner @ May 7th 2008 10:10AM
I own an R8 and I simply love the car, the driving dynamics, the looks... it does everything well (except hold luggage). The car is polarizing. People are always making positive comments about it. I have about 5,500 miles on it and it has held up just fine. I just wish it had run-flats though.
Seoultrain @ May 7th 2008 10:15AM
r8runner, why would you want to ruin such an amazing car with run-flat tires?
ktibuk @ May 7th 2008 10:38AM
I own a 911 S (997) and it is almost 2 years old. I was thinking of getting an R8 but while there is a GT3 out there I somehow can't.
I wish I was rich enough to get both. Actually with the taxes I am paying, I could afford get both if I was living in the US or Canada or something.
The R8 and GT3 each start around 210.000 Euros here. That is around 320.000 dollars.
Val @ May 7th 2008 12:08PM
Please, define "compete", because the SLK 55 is equal, if not better than a boxster in terms of performance, and it looks so much better. Nobody is denying the sports car heritage of Porsche, but maybe you should go back in time and check what Mercedes has done in racing before the 50s, or what auto union has achieved before WW2, and then on the rally circuit with the quattro, and then in LeMans. A name doesn't make a car good, I would still get a 911 GT3 before a GT-R, despite the price difference, but that's because it just looks so much better inmy eyes. And all due respect to Aston Martin, all their models look stunning and all, but at the end of the day, they are mostly GT cars, even the V8 cannot compete with the R8 and 911 in terms of performance and handling. Still wold like to drive a DBS though, if i had the money.