As Audi progressed into the new millennium, its place on the podium among German luxury marques still firmly in tact, one thing seemed to be missing: a supercar. While its Quattro technology provided feat for the brand since the 80’s, its growing ties to Lamborghini provided a platform for Audi to branch out and remind the auto world that they won’t settle for the constraints of sedans and small coupes. Sure, VW could have slapped four rings on a Gallardo and call it a day (many enthusiasts would be just fine with this) but Audi meant business and was ready to set trends & standards for supercars and sedans alike; they succeeded. Although a direct competitor to several cars in our collection (Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin DB9, Nissan GT-R), we knew the R8 was a unique statement and we had to get our hands on one. Its comparability to our favorite Exotics is reflected in its stats (mid-mounted V8, 4.1 second sprint to 60 and 187 mph top speed) and construction, which includes 70 workers fitting 5,000 unique parts by hand and 95 lasers inspecting the entire car in five seconds to ensure that over 220 measurements are within 0.1 millimetres of the programmed plans. What does all this hard work achieve? A brand masterpiece for Audi through and through; let’s start with its design.

There are a few design attributes that enthusiasts and industry leaders simply couldn’t ignore. The first of which is the R8’s beautiful and aggressive ‘big mouth’ grille that has become a trademark of Audi’s design direction across its whole lineup. Other manufacturers are reaping the rewards of this wildly popular design cue, with even economy cars from Mitsubishi, Ford and Hyundai borrowing the large, in-your-face grille style. And then there is its LED daytime running lights that seem to help the car cut through the night just as much as its slippery smooth body work. As much as we baby our R8, the second we look into those LED eyes it looks like its ready to bite our head off…and we like it. Probably more so than its distinctive grille, manufacturers across all classes have adopted this lighting from Audi to add intrigue and a sense of luxury-by-default to their lineups. These simple yet enticing designs substantiate the R8 as a branding success for Audi, with auto novices across the country preferring Audi for its “cool lights.” Once you hop inside you realize the tight cockpit and minimal headroom make you feel like you’re in a $100k+ sports car, but its orderly ergonomics and overall comfort suggest it intends to provide an elevated sense of luxury while you throw it around the curves. This is no “luxury” car though, just slam the gas and you’ll see.

Once the freeways dissipate and the back roads appear, Audi’s signature Quattro system keeps the R8’s feet firmly planted on the road, showing it to be more versatile like our F430 rather than the blatantly track-hungry Gallardo. Audi spent several engineering hours to ensure Quattro would make its appearance in the R8, explaining why the modified, heavy-breathing RS4 4.2 liter V8 is set a bit off-center. Our R8 is equipped with the metal-gated six-speed Graziano box, which makes rev-matching exercises easy and is great for our members & renters who aren’t ready to make Schumacher moves. But before you put the R8 through its paces, the supercar clearly expresses its intentions when it talks back, producing a polished guttural V8 sound with hints of the F1 tinge that would undoubtedly make the R8 the most in-demand spokesperson if cars could talk.

In the end, the R8 provides the true excitement and performance of a supercar but is polite and won’t step on your feet when you take it out to dance. The R8 is not only a trophy for Audi, but a trendsetter for the industry.

Rent an Audi R8 in the San Francisco Bay Area today!

Photo Credit: Wallace Chane