There are Very Few Things Cooler Than the First R8

History Lesson

Disclaimer: the opinions of Doug DeMuro as presented in his video on the Audi R8 are his own, and any resemblance to the opinions of another actual person, living or dead, is merely coincidental.

Doug starts out by informing us that in 2006, when the Audi R8 was introduced, Audi was seen as "a cut-rate alternative to BMW... with reliability issues." He continues: "People only aspired to Audi if they couldn't afford a BMW or Mercedes." By "aspire to" Doug may have meant "bought" since, by definition, wanting something you may not yet be able to afford technically counts as aspiration. Doug has high praise for the marketing value of the Audi, calling it the perfect "halo car," and comparing it favorably with the Lexus LFA, about which he says: "no one has ever seen one of those things, nobody has any idea that it exists." Doug has a point, the $109,000 price tag of the first R8 put it just ahead of most Porsche 911s but well below the amount demanded by the Ford GT, or the current iteration of the Acura NSX. A reasonable cost of entry made it possible to see R8s on the road, and just as important, it presumably allowed them to keep them in production without losing money. Too much history, even as told by Doug, can be boring, so let’s move on the what makes the Audi R8 so special. 

Side Blade

Doug starts out with one of the most striking features of the R8: the arresting sideblade styling element. He calls it, "the biggest styling controversy in the industry," and mentions that you could pay extra to have your car shipped with a completely body-colored body side. Doug prefers the shiny look and opines that the contrasting body panels hold up well. He also gives a hearty thank you to whoever designed the "normal" door handles, though they could be considered extra-normal by virtue of their smooth integration with the air intake scoop/body line. 

>>Join the conversation about why the Orignal R8 is still so cool right here in the AudiWorld Forum!

LED Lights

Like most of us, Doug loves the R8s LED daytime running lights, informing us "whatever your favorite car is, it has daytime running lights because this car started the trend!" Rightly, no mention is made of Audi arch-enemy BMW's halo lights (which originally used a halogen bulb and fiber optics before switching to LED) that debuted in 2001. In fact, LED daytime running lights' first appearance on an Audi was aboard the W12 version of 2004's A8. Doug also explains another feature he says the R8 pioneered—due to federal regulations that didn't allow for running lights and turn signals to be in close proximity to each other, Audi pressed the LEDs into dual duty by making them switch between off and amber when signaling. 

>>Join the conversation about why the Orignal R8 is still so cool right here in the AudiWorld Forum!

Exposed Engine

"The also R8 pioneered another cool feature," Doug informs us, referring to the Audi's super-cool exposed engine. He clarifies that "this isn’t by any means the first car to have the engine exposed." He stresses that, at that time, an exposed engine cover could only be found on much pricier Ferraris and Lamborghinis. An underappreciated aspect of the visible V-8 is that it's an incentive for the manufacturer to build a good-looking powerplant.  

>>Join the conversation about why the Orignal R8 is still so cool right here in the AudiWorld Forum!

Rear Spoiler

Doug hates show-offs. He applauds Audi for limiting the upward travel of the rear spoiler, calling folks who excessively elevate such items, "incredibly insufferable." Audi likely weighed the undisturbed air that greets a higher-extending rear spoiler against the flash factor that might break with the subtly-understated styling of the R8. Audi nailed the concept of combining AWD tech, driver comfort, and mid-engined performance without less-than-classy mid-engined looks. Too much crazy wing action going on back there could have upset that delicate balance. 

>>Join the conversation about why the Orignal R8 is still so cool right here in the AudiWorld Forum!

Storage

It wouldn’t be a DeMuro video without his assessment of supercar storage space. Doug gets that the trunk is up front, but feels cheated by the large-hood-to-small-storage-space ratio. In contrast, he loves behind-the-seats, between-the-seats, under-the-seats, and glovebox compartments. He remarks that the "secret" storage nets affixed to the back of the seats are really only suitable for a piece of paper you don't want anyone to see since the seats are quite close to the rear bulkhead. Doug loves a nice pouch, and though he says the owner's manual doesn't have any interesting information in it, he does like the Alcantara bag it comes in.  

>>Join the conversation about why the Orignal R8 is still so cool right here in the AudiWorld Forum!

Interior Ergonomics

Next, let's sum up Doug's nominations for notable fixtures and features inside the Audi. He likes the +/- on the shifter and finds it easy to use. He like likes the two normal sized cup holders, but the smaller space between them perplexes him, he says its purpose is "known only to Audi." He says the sun visors are "insanely small," and swing toward occupants, which he says is "especially unusual." He likes the heated seat controls and intuitive vent selection dial. 

>>Join the conversation about why the Orignal R8 is still so cool right here in the AudiWorld Forum!

Driving Impressions

The R8 Doug got his hands on was a V-8 sample, and he explains that while 420 hp doesn't seem like a lot today, it was quite a bit in 2006. He says the Audi isn't "set your hair on fire fast," but it's fast enough for this kind of car. He praises the R8 for being smooth-shifting, supremely confidence-inspiring, fun through the corners, and an excellent daily driver. Doug says the Audi is so "German," and also, "Teutonic," which he defines as "removed from the outside world." He says (and he's right) that the R8 was an amazing achievement for only $110,000. Doug says the ride was rattle-free and that, even though it doesn't have a USB port, the Audi drives just as good as any modern car. Connectivity issues aside, Millennial DeMuro has a point when he predicts that we'll look back and see the R8 as one of the important cars of the 2000s. In fact, some of us already do. 

>>Join the conversation about why the Orignal R8 is still so cool right here in the AudiWorld Forum!

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