Thanks to the adjustable dampers the R8, even in this hardcore V10+ trim is surprisingly supple and actually quite comfortable to spend long hours in. In the congested streets of Pune and Mumbai it’s quickly apparent that, with the R8 in comfort setting, is quite civilised for a car with that amount of performance on tap. Once you are done having fun, you can have a relaxing time in the R8 too. As a result flat-out performance figures are understandably rapid, with 100kph taking 3.56 seconds, 150kph 6.73 seconds and 200kph just over 11 seconds! It does all this while sounding evocative and it doesn’t need any trickery (like fake sound coming through the in car speakers) to make the occupants feel truly special. Upshifts are done automatically at 8250 rpm, just in case you’re busy avoiding people instead of pulling the correct paddle. Lift off the brake and the R8 slams forward, with just a hint of wheelspin. First make sure the steering is facing straight, push the brake with your left foot and the accelerator with your right, and the revs climb to 4500 rpm. It’s a German car, so for the launch control to work you have to be clinical. But my favourite one is the ‘hooligan’ button, marked with a chequered flag that turns everything up to maximum on which you will read more later in the review. A large red button brings the monstrous V10 to life, another lets you switch the exhaust noise from sane to insane and the Drive Select lets you toggle through driving modes.
Although some might argue there are way too many buttons on the steering but they all make sense and once use to, the driver doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road to change important settings.
If this wasn’t enough then the complex Formula1 car like steering will surely make the driver feel even more special. One trick sees a huge map digitally dismiss the tacho and speedometer to the outer corners of the screen. All information, including the navigation map, is now directly in front of the driver, on an ultra-high-quality TFT display that renders almost every other in-car screen obsolete. Like in the Audi TT, a 12.3-inch TFT ‘Virtual Cockpit’ replaces the dials and can be configured in a variety of ways. The new R8’s cabin is an extreme exercise of minimalism and is 100 percent focused on the driver.
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