The 2006 Audi R8

As a general rule the major car manufacturers stay out of the super car business. Actually with all the mergers in the car industry they are involved but they use a brand that is already associated with that part of the market. That is why it came as such a surprise when Audi introduced the R8 in 2006. However the success of the car has proved that they made a good decision.

The 2006 Audi R8 is the first attempt by the manufacturer to enter the high end sports car market. It is pretty clear that the car was intended to compete head to head with the Porsche 911 and in this respect it has been remarkably successful. In large part the R8 has benefited from the companies take over of Lamborghini, a lot of the parts that are used on the R8 are also used on the Lamborghini Gallardo although the engine in the R8 has been detuned so that they are not competing head to head.

In a lot of ways Audi took a big risk when they created the R8, they basically created a whole new class of car. With a price tag and level of performance that is significantly above that of the average top of the line sports car but below that of the super car they had to find a whole new set of customers. The fear was that people who were going to spend the kind of money that was required for an R8 would want a car with a name that is a little more associated with high end cars. This has turned out not to be the case as the R8 has sold very well.

One of the reasons for the success of the R8 is that it provides performance that is similar to that of a top super car while still remaining practical. By no means is it a family car but it can seat two people comfortably with plenty of room for luggage or groceries or golf clubs. This is not something that you can say about most super cars in which fitting the driver in was apparently an afterthought. A car that can actually be used for daily activities has turned out to be quite popular.

The performance of the Audi R8 is outstanding although it is a little bit below the level of a true super car. One of the reasons is that R8 does have less power and it does weigh a little bit more. While this hurts when it comes to acceleration and top end speed the R8 can more than hold its own when it comes to handling. This is large part because of the Quattro all wheel drive system. While this does make the car handle great there are some people who don't like it, they feel it makes the car too easy to drive and takes away some of the excitement.

Audi has recently released a V10 version that's also gotten great reviews.