The folks at Popular Mechanics are a little funny in their comparisons of the new Audi R8. Sure, the Audi R8 can be compared to the Porsche 911 Turbo. However, this is a first that it is being compared to both the Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe and the Chevy Corvette Z06. Apparently everyone wants to get in on the Audi following and they will through the entire kitchen sink at the R8.
Here are a few excerpts:
Our quartet of speed maestros consists of the Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe, Porsche 911 Turbo, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the new Audi R8. We ran them all through our usual battery of tests at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. Then we spent a day hot-lapping each one on the 1.8-mile Streets of Willow road course. To find out which ones rose to the top of our score card, read on.....[Source: Popular Mechanics]
.....The paddle-shifted R tronic gearbox flawlessly executed rev-matching downshifts and upshifts quicker than any human could manage in Sport mode. The R8 is so easy to drive, you could confidently toss your grandmother the keys and know she’d be okay. In fact, she’d probably have a lot of fun. Around town the Audi rode more smoothly and quietly than any of the others. The interior is posh and luxurious. In some cases we wondered if we were driving a sports car or a sedan — it’s that serene and well mannered. Well, flooring the throttle certainly clears up any confusion. The 4.2-liter V8 lets out a bewitching howl that peaks at an 8250-rpm crescendo. It’s aural magic. But the Audi was the slowest car at the strip. And the R tronic gearbox proved tough to live with when left in fully automatic mode. The lurches and pauses between shifts made us yearn for a traditional manual. Luggage space isn’t as commodious as that of the Porsche or Vette, so packing for longer trips takes some imagination. Still, even factoring in the Audi’s six-figure price tag, this was the one car we all wanted in our own garages. The Audi R8 may be the new supercar benchmark.....
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