Road Test: Audi R8 V10 Spyder

Taking a great car and adding to its exotic status by removing the roof is guaranteed to garner plenty of attention – something the Audi R8 Spyder has had no shortage of since it was caught filming on the set of Iron Man 2 in August last year.

In a way, Iron Man (Tony Stark), and the R8 Spyder are a perfect match. While superhero Mr. Stark flies around in a metal suit, so too does the R8. Built on Audi Space Frame (ASF) technology coupled with a powerful V10 engine, that will see you literally flying across the country’s landscape, the R8 Spyder makes you feel like a superhero, well not quite, but at times you do feel like you have superior driving abilities.

But alas, you are soon brought back to ‘stark’ reality when – unless you actually are Robert Downey Jr., who plays the famed superhero – you park the R8 Spyder and while you walk away all admirable gazes stay glued to the car’s contours and not its driver.

Although true to the original R8 V10 Coupe’s design, the Spyder has received a number of changes to cater for its folding fabric roof. Unlike the Coupé, the Spyder does not have sideblades behind the doors and now features a pair of silver coloured air vents running the length of the engine cover that are best described as shoulder blades. From the front, the Spyder is instantly recognisable by its brushed aluminium framed windscreen – a signature of all recent Audi convertibles. Otherwise it’s pure R8, with gloss black accents front and rear, trademark LED day-time running lights in front, canon-sized oval tail-pipes at the rear and 19-inch Y-spoke design alloy wheels. The electrohydraulic soft top opens and closes in 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h and folds into a Z shape over the V10 engine. The entire roof package weighs just 30 kilograms, however, overall the R8 V10 Spyder weighs 105 kilograms more than its coupe sibling at 1 725 kg.

Once you’ve stooped down to meet the car’s low ride height and sidled into the driver’s seat, you’ll find a welcoming Audi interior. Leather clad, electronically adjustable seats hold driver and passenger comfortably and snugly in place. The switchgear, plastics and their fit and finish are second to none, offering up a premium sense of solidity. Standard equipment includes, satellite navigation; reverse parking camera; a Bang & Olufsen sound system; and heated seats. Sadly though, as well equipped and built as the cabin is, it isn’t one that’s particularly memorable. Why? Because apart from the metal gear selector, a ‘V10′ badge at the base of the tachometer and ‘R8′ insignia at the base of speedo and a top the gear stick, the flagship Audi is not that much different to what you’d find in the rest of the range. To remedy this, we recommend the optional ‘Carbon Sigma’ interior package, that sees carbon fibre used on the centre console, door inlays, and on the dashboard.

Behind the seats lies the bulkhead, which houses integrated rollover protection and a heated glass rear window that can be lowered and raised automatically with the roof, or independently at the press of a switch. Also behind the occupants sits the 5.2-litre, 40-valve, V10 engine. Power from the V10 remains unchanged from that of the coupe, with 386 kW available at 8 000 r/min and peak torque of 530 Nm at 6 500 r/min.

The two banks of 5-cylinders resonate with an angry growl on idle, but begin to wail with all the enthusiasm of a volcanic eruption as you floor the accelerator and watch the tacho needle snap around its axis. It’s a soundtrack that when played against the backdrop of a mountain pass stirs the soul. It’s just a pity then that the R tronic 6-speed automatic transmission does match the engines sublimely refined nature. The shift-by-wire transmission makes meal out of every up shift as it disengages and reengages the dry double-plate clutch. With a neutral throttle position during each shift the head-bobbing action can be tempered, but we have to say our money is on the conventional manual transmission.

Once you happen upon a smooth stretch of winding road however, the R8 Spyder is in its element and rewards with magnificent driving dynamics. Having replaced the rigid properties of the coupe’s roof with a classic fabric hood has done little to dull the car’s handling prowess. Sure, there’s a little shake over some rougher sections of road, but on the whole, the R8 Spyder feels every bit as capable as the Coupe. The ASF chassis and quattro permanent all-wheel drive combine to impart bucket loads of confidence and ensure all the thrills without the spills.

At over R2 million the Audi R8 V10 Spyder isn’t cheap, but for those with the means it’s a superbly competent supercar with the sex-appeal and soundtrack to boot.

What we like…

• Styling
• Performance and the V10 soundtrack.
• Handling – it sticks to the road like Velcro.

What we would like…

• A more memorable interior.

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