Audi R8

Expert Rating:

Introduction

A 187mph supercar is not the first thing that springs to mind when talking green machines. However, the Audi R8 can make a credible claim to being one of the kindest petrol-powered supercars to the environment while still providing full-fat thrills.

What is it?

The R8 is Audi's first attempt at a supercar and it has hit the mark brilliantly. It looks great and has all the presence you could ever wish for. The 4.2-litre V8 engine is one of the cleanest in the supercar firmament yet still manages 414bhp for stunning acceleration and driving entertainment. The engine is mounted in an aluminium frame and clothed with a body made of aluminium with a carbon fibre 'blade' behind each of the doors to give the R8 its distinctive appearance. Audi makes no great claims for the R8's green credentials, but it's one of the new breed of supercar that takes into account economy and emissions as well as outright speed and handling.

How does it drive?

There's no two ways about it, the Audi R8 is an intoxicatingly fast car. It will cover 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and head on to a top speed of 187mph if unfettered by speed restrictions. Driven with a modicum of restraint, the R8 is also more than able of meandering through town traffic without so much as a murmur of discontent. The low-slung styling makes the R8 appear wider than it actually is, so threading this supercar down narrow streets is not as nerve-wracking an experience as you might first expect. It's also easy to park and even getting in and out is not the palaver it can be in some cars of this ilk. It even copes with bump-addled roads with ease.

However, the R8 is about driving excitement and it delivers on this count - with bells on. The V8 engine sounds great, especially if you drop the windows for full effect, and pulls hard and fast from any revs. It tops out north of a giddy 8,000rpm and the manual gearbox provides a satisfying click-clack metal gait to slot the lever through. Go for the R-tronic auto and you can shift by steering wheel-mounted paddles, but we'd strongly recommend avoiding this transmission, as its shifts are clumsy.

Thanks to four-wheel drive dividing the power between the front and rear wheels, the R8 suffers little of the wheel scrabble some supercars can endure when pulling out of junctions. The quattro all-wheel drive also endows the R8 with near perfect poise on all types of road and in all conditions. We tried the car on some slimy, slippery wet country roads yet it remained wholly unfazed. It still served up a thrilling drive; yet the driver never felt as if the R8 could develop into a supercar-sized bundle of trouble in tricky conditions.

Planet hugger or planet mugger?

The Audi R8 is likely to last for a very long time and be owned way past the point where most mere mortal cars are scrapped. This means the R8's environmental impact lessens with every passing year, as the energy used to create it is spread over an ever lengthening span of time. Additionally, as the R8 is more likely to be owned as an occasional indulgence rather than an everyday car, covering a lower annual mileage than most cars, its effect on the environment are not as punitive as some may think. That said, carbon dioxide emissions of 332g/km for the manual gearbox version of the R8 (and 318g/km for the R-tronic-equipped model) make the Audi heavy on greenhouse gas emitting. Average economy of 20.3mpg (21.2mpg for the R-tronic) puts the R8 towards the better performing end of the supercar spectrum, but again it's not great compared to most conventional cars.

Verdict

Those with a truly green conscience will find the Audi R8 too much of a polluter for their tastes and beliefs. However, of you're in the market for a supercar, the R8 makes a strong case for itself: not just for its superlative performance and unshakeable handling poise, but also for its better than average economy, emissions that dip below the norm for this class and a longevity that will see you enjoying the R8's talents and appeal for many years to come rather than swapping it for yet another new car after a brief stint of ownership.

Alisdair Suttie

Wednesday July 8