When this car first came into existence it caused quite a stir, when its first pictures were released in 2006. It is very unusual looking for an Audi. They had the task of taking all the usual Audi traits and incorporating them into this new look car that is like no Audi I’ve ever seen before. It turns your head even when it isn’t moving, so imagine what it looks like on the road. The usual Audi grill is complemented surprisingly by two extra air intakes. It sits low, is broad and slicker than most cars I have ever seen in my life and is amazing to look at in jet blue, although other colours will obviously be available. On first glance you might think it’s a smart car, however the design has a function, capturing air as you drive and directing it into the engine bay. It’s genuinely pleasing to the eyes. And that’s before you even get to look inside. The interior is everything you would expect of Audi, and then a little bit more; snug but comfortable. Nearly every little thing you might want to be able to do while driving is possible from just a flick of a strategically placed button, whether you want to turn the heating on, un-fog the windows, move the side mirrors or open the windows, you don’t have to reach far to do so.

The drive is im
mense. With six speed manual transmission, the gear box slides effortlessly from gear to gear as you want it without much break of your rhythm. The ride is smooth with a surprisingly limited amount of noise pollution, but this does depend on the engine type of your used R8. Some will be nosier than others but the one I experienced I was impressed with. Its top speed is a less impressive 187 mph, it’s a shame but there are limited times and places you can actually test this out anyway. Despite having many rivals in the car world, the R8 Quattro is more than up for the challenge.

If I was to criticise it in any way it would be to point out how impractical it is. It’s not the type of car you would take to drop the kids off at school or even drive to work in. I don’t think I’d trust the general public to leave it alone while I was in the office as it may as well be shouting out to the world it’s there it’s that cool. If you have no reservations about this and you possess a lot of money it’d be an interesting investment. It’s a stereotype but I don’t think I could imagine a woman driving this car. Even used you still couldn’t buy it for much less than 25,000 and that’s at a push. But I envy the people who can, and the price is going to drop dramatically in the coming years, so it’s definitely a car to look out for the very near future.