Loving Tribute Tells the Whole Truth About the Audi R8 V10
There’s one big problem with the Audi R8 — but it has nothing to do with the V10 or the styling…
The writing has been on the wall for the Audi R8 V10 since long before Ingolstadt announced the end of internal combustion development back in March. There’s just no place for this Four Ring rocket in the new world, and while it’ll be on the books until 2023, the today’s version is the last version. But with 15 years of development under its belt, you can’t say it didn’t have a good run. It’s a sparking example of an everyday supercar, and one of the machines that invented the concept. As YouTuber Joe Achilles points out this new clip, however, it does have one pretty big flaw.
That flaw, of course, has nothing to due with the ferocious 562-horsepower V10 which sits behind the cockpit, or the styling, which has aged like a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle’s. Hell, even though it’s not longer on the order books, this machine was once available with a gated six-speed manual — the supercar equivalent of a mic drop. So from the greasy bits to the sheet metal, there’s little fault to be found. The only real problem with the R8, in his opinion, is that its athleticism makes driving it on public roads as frustrating as trying to eat phở while white water rafting.
Now, as someone fortunate enough to have driven Audi’s supercar on a few occasions, I whole-heartedly agree, as using even a small portion of this beast’s potential if you’re not on a closed course is asking for trouble. So Achilles fixes this “problem” by taking this R8 to England’s legendary Silverstone Circuit, where he can flex it’s muscles to the full extent of his abilities — and we get to hear the 5.2-liter ten-pot sing at the top of its register.
Make sure to crank up the sound here when Achilles hits the track, because while the performance of future supercars with undoubtable eclipse the capabilities of the R8, the time when new hardware won’t scream like this isn’t all that far away. Sure, sound designers will ensure they have character, but it won’t be the same. Someday, audiences will watch period movies, and be amazed at just how loud the vehicles of our era were — just like how we’re amazed that people used to smoke in hospitals.
Overall, this clip is mighty good fun, even if there’s not a lot — meaning like, nothing — dedicated gearheads don’t already know. Enjoy!
Photos: YouTube