Audi R8 | Part 11 (First Half) | "So cool it dispels all doubt."

The 11th: Audi R8 (Part 1)

So Cool It Banishes All Doubt

Sports cars, which had all but disappeared for a time, are now making a comeback one after another.
The German premium brand,Audihas given its first true mid-engine sports car the name of a machine that once dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
This car is the "R8."

Text by Yasushi ShimonoPhoto by Audi

Audi and Lambo: A "Happy Marriage"

When I first heard rumors that Audi was building a supercar-class mid-engine sports car, I couldn't believe my ears.
You might think the phrase "couldn't believe my ears" is redundant, but the rumors about an Audi supercar felt that persistent. After all, there's Lamborghini, isn't there?

Audi's first true mid-engine sports car, the "R8."

Audi has been the parent company of Lamborghini since its dramatic acquisition in 1998.
The merger of the Four Silver Rings and the Raging Bull was astonishing, but on second thought, it might just be a "happy marriage."

In other words,FerrariLamborghini, with its wild, aggressive spirit that once charged down the supercar highway, perhaps needed Audi's calm, rational, scientific intellect and mentality the most.

The production version of the concept car "Le Mans Quattro,"
unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Isn't Lambo enough?

Indeed, Lamborghini has visibly improved since the partnership began. Today's "Murciélago" and "Gallardo" are clearly more "marketable" than the previous generation, like the "Diablo."
This might sound like a harsh assessment, but it's mainly in the areas of driver interface. The core passion seems to be diligently preserved by the Germans. That's the impression I get from Lamborghini now, and I thought it was "just right."

So, I thought, "Isn't there Lamborghini? Isn't Lambo enough?"

Design That Always Looks to the Future

But the "Audi R8," which I saw for the first time, was so cool that it banished all such doubts.

The test car was white. While this might seem like an anticlimactic body color for an Audi, it actually looked great. Part of the panel behind the door was painted silver. Making just this one panel a different color was a new approach.

The styling itself isn't as niche as a Lambo, nor as aesthetically decadent as a Ferrari. But it is undeniably new. Audi's design is wonderful because it never retreats into retro; it always looks forward (to the future). The expression "stylish" fits, including the color scheme.

This impression of the exterior was not betrayed once I started driving.

The 12th: Audi R8 (Part 2)to be continued

The cockpit design features the "monoposto" concept, which visually reflects the world of motorsport.
The controls are arranged to be driver-oriented.