Toronto, Ontario - I didn't realize, until I spent a long weekend with the Audi R8, just how many camera phones there were in the city of Toronto.
Having been cell-phone shopping only a few weeks before my R8 experience, I knew intuitively that camera phones were quite popular; that, indeed, almost every cell phone these days comes with a camera of some sort. But my oh my, they're everywhere. There in your side-view mirror, hanging out of cars sitting in your blind spot on the Gardiner Expressway, trying to get some footage of you accelerating away. They’re staring right at you through the back window of cars in front of you in traffic, panning back and forth to take in the full magnificence of the R8's LED driving-light arrangement and its big, low shield-shaped grille. They’re poking out from crowds at bus shelters, snapping a pic as you drive by. They’re there, right in your face as you come back to the car in a parking lot, hoping to sneak away and avoid any lengthy conversation.
I've driven more expensive cars than the Audi R8. I have driven faster cars and cars that make more noise and cars that go around corners faster. But I have never driven anything which draws quite so much attention.
The Toronto International Film Festival opened the same day I picked up the R8. On my drive home from work through the entertainment district, onlookers peered in the gunslit-shaped side windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of celebrity and instead got an eyeful of fat Asian auto journalist - not old enough or thin enough to be Chow Yun-Fat and not in good enough shape to be Jackie Chan. One guy, I kid you not, even asked for my autograph, even though he didn't know who I was. The car was enough, he said; he'd glimpsed it parallel-parked on Richmond and had circled the block to take a closer look. Is this what celebrity feels like?
The darn thing LOOKS high-tech too, a combination of its tall windshield, jewelled lights, the vents cut into those side panels, and the mesh-inset rear wing which automatically rises at 110 km/h. "One-forty?" people gawped. "It looks like should be two-fifty!"
In terms of the way the R8 compares behind the wheel, the Porsche has its advantages and it has its disadvantages. The main difference is that the 911 feels smaller once you're on the move. Its narrower body, more upright seating position and larger glass area make it easier to thread through traffic and along winding roads with precision; the Audi, despite being incredibly nimble and light on its feet, always feels like a big car: its width makes squeezing into tight parking spots a chore even when using the reversing camera and you always second-guess yourself about whether you can thread the car through any given piece of pavement.
One area where the 911 has an advantage is steering feel. While both cars corner flat and true - and both, interestingly enough, also bob their noses a little bit in fast curves - the Audi's steering can feel heavy and a little bit numb while the 911's three-spoke wheel dances under your fingertips. Ultimately, this leads to a greater sense of confidence, even if the Porsche's rear-engine layout means it'd be trickier to drive at the limit than the smoother-transitioning mid-engined Audi. On the other hand, the R8 is vastly more comfortable as a daily driver: even in the supposedly-stiff sport mode, it rides better than the 911 and in comfort mode is as composed as any sedan. Its cabin feels much wider and save for a dead pedal which was too close for my taste, the layout is near-perfect, with easy-to-decipher controls and displays right where you would expect them.
There are other theatrical touches as well. When you unlock the R8 with the keyfob, not only is the interior lit up, but so is the glass-covered engine bay, cool blue xenon exposing the V8 for the world to see. Flick on the headlights and you discover subtle little R8 logos in the headlamp lenses; the driving lights are a row of LEDs that curve under the main beams, sort of an automotive form of mascara. Inside, the gauges flicker on and all the needles do a full sweep before settling into their proper positions; the navigation system even has a cool R8-branded start-up screen. Under way, you're treated to one of the world's greatest engine notes, a magnificent high-tech rumble from the quad pipes; think Pavarotti singing thrash metal. Properly executed downshifts are greeted with a sharp bark from the exhaust and you hear the odd screech of tire before the lenient stability control reins in the fun in tight corners.
It is, ultimately, the sense of theatre, combined with genuine everyday ability, which makes the R8 such an interesting proposition. It's as practical as a 911 - save for the Porsche's tiny rear seats - but looks so much more exotic. It's as comfortable as a luxury sedan but exudes so much more drama, whether you're sitting still in traffic or roaring along the left lane of the expressway. It's a car with the visual presence of an Italian super car, with a generously-sized trunk, decent behind-the-seats storage and unflappable build quality. It is beautiful to behold and a delight to drive, one of the very best performance cars you can (more or less) buy; and, at least for now, definitely the coolest.
Pricing: 2008 Audi R8
Base price: $139,000
Price as tested $150,100
-->Manufacturer’s web site
http://www.audicanada.com/
