2014 Audi R8 V10 Spyder

Over the past 16 years I’ve test driven a lot of cars with big price tags and really fast acceleration times.  And thought this one here is neither the fastest nor the most expensive it is one of my favorites.  It’s the 2014 Audi R8 Spyder.

And no car I’ve driven in recent memory has caused such a stir as this one and the reasons are quite obvious.  Riveted by its completely unique supercar styling and its rarely seen nature, the R8 Spyder stopped more people in their tracks than any car I’ve driven in recent memory.  The emotions it evokes in others range from astonishment to utmost respect.  Traffic politely moves aside and sports car drivers avoid side-by-side stops in deference to its awesomeness.  Wide-eyed and jaw-dropped, onlookers wait to engage you with questions and I was surprised by how often I heard “I didn’t know Audi made cars like this.”

Well indeed they do and it’s been 5 years already since the R8’s introduction.  Of course with a starting price of roughly $120,000, Audi sells far fewer than 100 per month.  And the one I have is even rarer – it’s the V10 Spyder with the new S tronic transmission, which after painting it in this oh so appropriate Estoril Blue, fully trimming it in Fine Nappa leather with contrast stitching, accessorizing with piano black inlays and placing it on 19” 10-spoke y-design wheels, carries an MSRP of $184,350.  That price also includes a $1,700 gas guzzler tax – a fee which cannot be avoided no matter which R8 Spyder configuration you choose.

While most exotics I drive carry sticker prices which seem overly superfluous even by their standards, if any street car is worth this price it’s the R8.

This car is amazing: the sounds, the speed, the grip.  It’ll leave you smitten.  Now I like my supercars to be more than one trick ponies and the R8 has that perfect split personality going from serene top-down cruiser to this…

The big news for 2014 is the addition of the new 7-speed double-clutch transmission called S tronic which is the smoothest of its kind, knocks 4/10ths of a second from the previous R tronic’s 0-to-60mph time and improves fuel economy by 1mpg to 16mpg combined.  It also comes with larger paddle shifters this year and when you’re looking to hasten the shift times further with an accompanying V10 soundtrack choose Sport mode – I switched to it many times just to hear those unbelievable downshift blips. The last Audi to offer a V10, here in the R8 it’s placed behind the seats and generates a high-revving 525 horsepower and 391 pound feet of torque spreading its power to all 4 wheels via quattro.  There’s also launch control which will take you from 0-to-60mph in just 3.6-seconds and if you stay in it, goes all the way to a top speed of 193mph.

This aluminum-bodied R8 weighs nearly 2 tons but is effortlessly direct in everything it does.  There is a proclivity towards understeer at times but it’s not opposed to some rear drive-like shenanigans either.  It’s a precision driving machine that can straighten the curviest of roads, reminding me very much of the Nissan GT-R.

These 19” wheels look fantastic and hiding behind them are these awesome R8 brake calipers.  And it’s the first car I’ve ever driven with wavy rotors.

The stopping power of these is incredibly strong and instantaneous, giving the driver even greater confidence to go for it.  And the adjustable magnetic ride shocks of the double wishbone suspension deliver uncompromised ride quality with tenacious body control making it a car you could comfortably drive every day.

Top up, there’s still plenty of head room, and a wind blocker and heated seats keep you sheltered from cool weather when it’s down.  You sit really low and the footwell is quite narrow, but the R8 with its deep trunk will not deter you from a weekend getaway.  On the other hand, interior stuff-it space is quite limited.  I’m also surprised there’s no smart key feature and the MMI system here is from a time before Audi made it good.  But those are small criticisms of an otherwise brilliant machine which by its mere appearance conjures the car-lover in all of us.