Audi R8 e-tron test drive experience

After receiving the invitation from Audi to test drive in Las Vegas, I have been discussing with my colleagues whether the R8 test drive should be included in this issue of "RuperCar". Strictly speaking, R8 is not really a "super sports car", but somehow everyone thinks it has the momentum of a super sports car. After the trial operation, this problem no longer bothers me, because what I learned from R8 is not "transcendence", but a kind of transcendence.

People usually come to Las Vegas for two purposes: gambling on luck and having an affair. When I first came to this golden cave in the desert of Nevada, I was attracted by an Audi sports car with a four-wheel drive and a mid-engine instead of fancy casinos, luxury hotels and a small church where I could get married on the line of fire.

As we all know, there are more or less subtle connections between Volkswagen and Audi, Lamborghini and Volkswagen and Porsche. I believe that the original gene of Audi R8 is closely related to the research and development of Lamborghini Gallardo. The concepts of two-seat, four-wheel drive and mid-engine are exactly the same as those of Gallardo, and the only difference is that the engine configuration will be eliminated with the launch of V 1O version R8 around Christmas 2OO8. This also explains why the taste of "Super Run" on R8 is so strong, which is caused by genes.

The main rival of R8 lock is the most popular sports car in the world-Porsche 9 1 1, or more precisely Carrera 4S, which is also a bold challenge. Although Audi also mentioned Mercedes-Benz SL, Jaguar× K and other names, I insist that R8 is a luxury sports car with a strong "running taste", not a GT. Although its luxury and comfort are not bad, its sportiness ranks first, just like Porsche 9 1 1. Of course, this last conclusion was reached after my day's test drive.

When I first saw R8, it was a sunny morning, on a platform by the lake of Leeds Kardon Hotel. I have to admit, at that moment, I was deeply moved by his shape design. The wide body full of movement, aggressive front face, headlights and muscular tail make R8 lying there look like a metal beast ready to go.

I like R8' s tail design better. I want to say that this is the most attractive rear design of a sports car I have ever seen, from the glass hood and bright red taillights to the domineering exhaust grille below (the four black separation lines are absolutely ingenious! ), the exhaust pipe and the bottom spoiler of the whole line are in one go. This design is not only sexy and charming, but also very "Audi", especially commendable-it has a distinctive personality without losing the overall style, and it is really a master style.

I think R8 is the most hearty work of Walter da silva since he came to Audi. He brought the romantic and elegant elements of Audi in recent years to the extreme. From the perspective of design alone, the R8 can completely reach the level of a super sports car here. Later, we met a Ferrari F430 on the track, and R8 was parked side by side with it. Not only does it feel that it will not be eclipsed, but it is also quite equal. I tried it. This shows that R8 has extraordinary bearing.

And this kind of design is not only for good-looking, but also very practical. The huge air intake and air outlet at the front and rear are designed to better cool the powerful engine. The two huge wings behind the side door are also a major feature of R8, not only because of its shape, but also because of its color.

Because they are always different from the car body in color, they have become the most striking and iconic design of R8. Among the vehicles on display, there is a milky white body, R8 with black carbon wings, and the interior is also milky white, which is very beautiful and absolutely unique. Another difference with other Audi models is that the four-ring logo is set above the grille for the first time in history.

On the cover, this design makes R8 look like a racing car.

Our test drive plan is to drive from the hotel to the Las Vegas circuit, then we can only try to ride at the racetrack, and finally take another road from the racetrack to the hotel. Sitting in the cockpit, I feel very luxurious and all kinds of materials are excellent. I was particularly impressed that the whole roof was tightly wrapped in complete suede. It feels very good.

Aluminum and carbon fiber decorative plates embedded in the middle of leather (some models are painted piano) set off an unusual racing atmosphere. I especially like its aluminum gear lever, which looks like a manual gear, and its sports pedal has a devil's visual effect. The steering wheel feels slightly thicker than TT and feels good. Sports seats are very inclusive, but they are not as narrow and crowded as some sports cars, but very comfortable. The view inside the car is much better than many high-performance sports cars, which is somewhat unexpected to me.

R8 gave up the fashionable button start and electronic handbrake, but adopted the traditional ignition and handbrake. I think this is Audi's original intention, because these two technologies are very simple for them. They don't use it for the purpose of adding R8' s pure sports car flavor: the basic configuration of R8, including seats, is manually adjusted, and the fact is the same: we are not luxury GT, we are luxury sports cars! Tell the truth. I like this pure feeling myself.

What about the car advertised as "running"? Let's hit the road. Because TT3 12Stronic has just been tried in China, the pleasure of lingering sound has not completely dissipated. I can't help comparing the two. When the oil goes down, the first difference comes out: the sound line of R8 engine is so bright, rich in texture and shocking, I like it! When the oil supply is even, the voice is low and calm again. Driving with your back against the engine feels different. Thinking about the 420-horsepower V8 engine behind the seat, I couldn't help stepping down. Needless to say, I feel that the flexibility of the car is also good. This should be attributed to the perfect body proportion brought by Audi's famous ASF all-aluminum body and mid-engine

It's wide and straight, and the speed limit is particularly strict. R8 is completely confined here, so it's hard to do. I can only repeatedly accelerate and decelerate, frequently shift gears, and merge lanes to find the feeling. Because of the advanced electro-hydraulic transmission device, the shift speed of Rtronic is quite fast. However, in manual mode, the Rtronic has limited tolerance for high speed and will automatically upshift to protect the engine.

At this point, Ferrari's F 1 gearbox will be much stronger, but R8' s V8FSI is not 599' s V 12 after all, and reasonable adjustment of the gearbox is understandable. Later, at the Las Vegas circuit, I experienced the excellent performance of professional test drivers driving the R8Rtronic on the track, which proved that this gearbox can support the fierce driving style. But I still think TT's DSG gearbox has brought me more driving pleasure. I hope this is an illusion, because it's a pity that I didn't have a chance to drive the R8 on the track and mountain road.

At the Las Vegas circuit, the test drivers set up some winding emergency exits with piles and buckets, as well as two sharp and narrow corners. From the beginning, he killed the general at a breakneck speed. After various evasions around the pile, he entered the corner at a very high speed and even accelerated, just like a racing car.

I believe these test drivers must be very familiar with these corners, but the performance of Audi R8 is really amazing. This feeling is really like Porsche, even more stable and faster, because Audi is good at four-wheel drive technology to distribute power to the front and rear axles more reasonably to achieve the best driving performance.

On the return trip, I especially experienced the comfort of R8 in cruising state. The chassis has good toughness, and the excellent performance of electromagnetic shock absorption has long been learned on TT, but it is not a standard configuration. The driving atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, and the space is not narrow, whether it is the head, shoulders or legs. The center console has a nice name-Monoposto, which is small, beautiful and fully functional.

Bang & ampOlufsen's acoustics are first-class, and it is said that it will not generate a lot of heat to heat the cockpit after listening for a long time. This is called ice force. The shift lever feels super good. When shifting N and R gears, you should move horizontally. It's interesting, but it takes time to get used to it. It is said that the night driving atmosphere of R8 is great, but unfortunately it has never been experienced.

Storage space is obviously not R8' s strong point, and the glove box is extremely small, so you can only put gloves. There is a space behind the seat for people of medium height to drive, which should be able to hold two sets of golf bags. A big fellow like me can only put a few clubs in front. There is a 150L suitcase under the front hood, which is not very neat. It's better to have a tailor-made suitcase to decorate more things. But all this may not be important to people who love R8. Again, it's not a GT, it's a sports car!

This also involves the problem of market positioning. Who will buy R8? I think many Germans will like it, because they haven't seen a German sports car full of personality and romance like R8 for many years. Mid-set, two-seat, four-wheel drive, full of running taste and good practicality, these are all selling points. There are many excellent works in traditional brands, but there are always times of aesthetic fatigue, which are not as fresh and exciting as R8. Americans may be more concerned about this. British people like speed and curiosity, and R8 is also a good choice.

As for China, it's really hard to say. At least we have to add all optional configurations first, and the price will go up. I analyze that the price of R8 entering China should be around 6.5438+0.8 million, which is slightly more expensive than 965.438+0. 1 Carrera 4s. In the first year, we can sell 50 cars, which is a very good result. It's not that China lacks rich people, but that our real sports car culture hasn't really matured.

I want to say, as a high-performance car lover, when you see the R8 engine through the glass cover, you will definitely fall in love with this car from the bottom of your heart. It really doesn't make any sense to discuss whether it is a super car at this time. R8 represents Audi's courage to surpass itself, and it can challenge old rivals at new heights! This is crucial to the promotion and maintenance of Audi's overall luxury brand image. In this sense, whether R8 can bring rich profit returns to Audi is not so important. [1]R8 also prepared generous gifts for R8 fans at 1 1, and made 333 limited-edition R8 sets.