Audi R8 Spyder (42) 2009-

[Kitdy]

Originally Posted by LTSmash

I wouldn't say I'm a RWD purist. I just don't like seeing something passed as a "GT" or sports car having AWD. It's (AWD) perfectly fine in something like the 959, Impreza, and Quattro, but those were rally cars. Audi, today, seems to be in the business of sports cars and I think in order to 100% satisfy that they need a RWD flagship car.

But quattro is their think. The R8 is the perfect Audi interpretation of a sportscar.

Originally Posted by Ferrer

It's not matter of performance, it's a matter of feel.

And the R8 has great feel - it's balance is legendary. I was reading some evo last night and they said that it was like the heir to the NSX in terms of balance.

The car is freaking excellent - why are you two raining on it's parade?

[LTSmash]

Originally Posted by Kitdy

But quattro is their think. The R8 is the perfect Audi interpretation of a sportscar.

Then if quattro is their deal, make a WRC/Group B-esque AWD masterpiece and leave the RWD for the real GT's.

Originally Posted by Kitdy

The car is freaking excellent - why are you two raining on it's parade?

Because we're both awesome.

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Kitdy

And the R8 has great feel - it's balance is legendary. I was reading some evo last night and they said that it was like the heir to the NSX in terms of balance.

The car is freaking excellent - why are you two raining on it's parade?

Read Top Gear's review of the two wheel drive Gallardo on their site. It's exactly what I'm refering to.

Just for the record I have nothing against the R8 in particular. Just not too interested in it.

[clutch-monkey]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

Read Top Gear's review of the two wheel drive Gallardo on their site. It's exactly what I'm refering to.

just read it.
i'm not entirely convinced about it - i do think the gallardo's function fine as an AWD car - but it's one hell of a good way to distinguish the car from it's audi equivalent.....

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by clutch-monkey

just read it.
i'm not entirely convinced about it - i do think the gallardo's function fine as an AWD car - but it's one hell of a good way to distinguish the car from it's audi equivalent.....

It was to prove my point about four wheel drive vs rear wheel drive. Especially this bit:

Originally Posted by Top Gear review

The LP550-2 is a totally different experience. Drive the Balboni and you notice as soon as you move the steering wheel more than a quarter of an inch. The steering feels lighter, more communicative, instantly more textured than the four-wheel drive car. You realise that the 4x4 car is operating through a thin film of mechanical interference necessitated by driveshafts and their subsequent torque. The uncorrupted steering is a joy. The car feels darty, lively, more connected than any Gallardo ever made. More awake.

This is why I prefer rear wheel drive cars (and front wheel drive cars) to four wheel drive ones. They may be slower, but they have a purer driving exeprience. And to me when you are on your favourite mountain road that's what counts, not tenths of a second.

[shockwaveracing]

sorry Ferrer but that is a load of BS if ever i heard it!!! the basic premise of your comments in here so far are regarding the feel you get through steering a RWD car or an AWD car, yet you just said you would prefer a FWD over an AWD car even though they both have at least some steering through the driven wheels...

am loving all these comments regarding the "feel" of the R8 too, everyone in here must be a road tester for Evo or Top Gear!!!

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by shockwaveracing

sorry Ferrer but that is a load of BS if ever i heard it!!! the basic premise of your comments in here so far are regarding the feel you get through steering a RWD car or an AWD car, yet you just said you would prefer a FWD over an AWD car even though they both have at least some steering through the driven wheels...

am loving all these comments regarding the "feel" of the R8 too, everyone in here must be a road tester for Evo or Top Gear!!!

Having driven all three layouts, I think I can comment on them.

My favourite without any shadow of a doubt is rear wheel drive. Rear wheel drive brings you the most balanced car of the three layouts. It also usually has the best weight distribution of them all. The front wheels do the steering only so you've got all the right ingredients for good steering feel. All of this make rear wheel drive cars very natural to drive. I don't know exactly how to put it into words but rear wheel drive cars are very enjoyable to drive. They feel connected, they feel like you are involved in the process.

Then my preference turns to front wheel drive cars. There's no getting away from the fact that you are having the wrong wheels driven and that you've got far too much weight over the front wheels. Still in a properly sorted front driver you can have plenty of fun. What I like most about them is the simplicity and safe fun they provide. Lift and the back can step out of line, but if you accelerate the front pull and everything gets in check again.

I personally can't see the point of four wheel drive at all. It's like bringing all the disadvantages of front wheel drive with none of the benefits. In rear wheel drive cars it takes away all the delicacy and subtelty they have and in front wheel drives it gives unnecessary complication. Yes, you'll have lots of grip which means that you'll be carrying quite a lot of speed in the corners. But they feel so cold, so disconected. It's point, turn in and accelerate and the car does the rest. And that brings us another problem of four wheel drive, especially if you are a normal driver. Immense grip means that if you want to have fun you'll have to go much much faster than in two wheel drive cars, which means that if you overdo it you'll going to have massive crash.

And now we've gone very offtopic...

[2ndclasscitizen]

1) Have you actually driven an R8? Because every article I've read on it has said it's got great feel through the wheel and balance due to the rear-biased drive.

2) Point and shoot is still good fun, because if you do it in something fast it's very visceral.

[Ferrer]

I said somewhere that I wasn't having a specific go at the R8, just four wheel drive cars in general.

(No, I haven't driven the R8)

[Kitdy]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

I said somewhere that I wasn't having a specific go at the R8, just four wheel drive cars in general.

(No, I haven't driven the R8)

But this is a AWD car that's hardly an AWD car.

It has amazing balance. What the hell do you want!?

[clutch-monkey]

Originally Posted by 2ndclasscitizen

1) Have you actually driven an R8? Because every article I've read on it has said it's got great feel through the wheel and balance due to the rear-biased drive.

great feel full stop or great feel 'for an audi'

[wwgkd]

Originally Posted by 2ndclasscitizen

1) Have you actually driven an R8? Because every article I've read on it has said it's got great feel through the wheel and balance due to the rear-biased drive.

2) Point and shoot is still good fun, because if you do it in something fast it's very visceral.

Every article on the gallardo has said that it had a great feel, too. Then the rear drive version came out and they all said it was better. I've heard a lot of good things about the R8 but I've never heard, for instance, that it was more involving to drive than an F430. In fact I just read an article that said in comparison it seems boring and disconnected.

Originally Posted by Kitdy

But this is a AWD car that's hardly an AWD car.

It has amazing balance. What the hell do you want!?

Just because it has a usual bias of 90% to the rear doesn't mean it doesn't have the weight and complexity, among other disadvantages, of being able to handle 50%. Even of being able to put down the normal 10%. I want perfection.

[Kitdy]

Originally Posted by wwgkd

Every article on the gallardo has said that it had a great feel, too. Then the rear drive version came out and they all said it was better. I've heard a lot of good things about the R8 but I've never heard, for instance, that it was more involving to drive than an F430. In fact I just read an article that said in comparison it seems boring and disconnected.

Was that the Car and Driver comparison? I saw it in the store. Another thing that has to be considered is that the R8 is probably much more liveable and friendly than the Scud - I don't think it's meant to be as hard.

Can you elaborate on the article?

Originally Posted by wwgkd

Just because it has a usual bias of 90% to the rear doesn't mean it doesn't have the weight and complexity, among other disadvantages, of being able to handle 50%. Even of being able to put down the normal 10%. I want perfection.

Everyone's starting to sound like Ferrer around here.

[f6fhellcat13]

Scud?
That's apples and oranges, Kitdy.

[clutch-monkey]

Originally Posted by Kitdy

Everyone's starting to sound like Ferrer around here.

paradoxically the closer something gets to perfection the more glaring it's faults become.. ferrer might be arguing over something relatively minor buuuut if you're in this great car on a mountain road and it just niggles at the back of your head..