Now maybe that's because of all the media publicity which the vehicle has had. However, I tend to believe that it's due to something else entirely. I feel that the general public views the R8 as a "Possibly obtainable Super Car". After all, with a base price of $139,000, it may not be within everyone's budget, but being substantially cheaper than most other Super Cars, I think that makes it "a realistic dream car" for the man, or woman in the street.

It is an amazing Super Car in every way.

Yes, they might not be able to purchase one right at this moment, but the price certainly puts it in the realm of "Maybe one day"!

Of course, a dream car needs more than just good looks. It also requires outstanding performance (How about 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, will that do?), amazing handling abilities (I did mention the All-Wheel-Drive system didn't I?), and of course, you don't want it breaking down every five minutes (Come on now, it's made by a huge automotive group, not some little design workshop which produces a handful of cars each year!).

On that last point, it's interesting to note that when Audi launched the R8, they staged a cross Canada road trip for journalists. Audi also made its R8 press fleet available to them throughout the winter months! Now, to be honest, I didn't try calling one of the other Super Car manufacturers to ask for a comparison vehicle, but it's my guess that the response would have been an answer machine saying that they were on holiday in Florida!

That is the true beauty of the R8. It is an amazing Super Car in every way, yet at the same time, it provides reliable transportation, both summer and winter, should you so require.

The drive
It is also an extremely easy vehicle to live with. In fact, in downtown traffic, the R8 behaves much like any other car. The clutch is light, the 6 speed gated gear selector is easy to operate, and apart from the limited rearward vision, the R8 becomes as simple to drive as, say, a Toyota Corolla.

One can then admire the magnificent 4.2 L V8 that produces 420 hp.