Class: LL4
Lap time: 2:56.1
Base price: $193,950
As-tested price: $202,750
610 hp • 3771 lb • 6.2 lb/hp
Tires: Pirelli P Zero
F: 245/30ZR-20 (90Y), R: 305/30ZR-20 (103Y)
The Audi R8 V10 Plus is close kin to the Lamborghini Huracán, but after lapping the R8 at VIR, we’re beginning to think that it’s related in the same way that humans are to chimpanzees. Sure, the genetic makeup may be similar, but the final product is very different.
We love the similarities; if only there were more. As in the Huracán, the 5.2-liter V-10 belts it out as it revs beyond 8000 rpm. All-wheel drive maximizes traction and thus the delivery of 610 horsepower. On the front straight, the R8 hits 153.5 mph and goes a little light through the usually unexciting kink at the flag tower, a preview of what’s to come.
Hard on the brakes a few seconds later, the R8 squirms as the rear end lightens and threatens to find its own course around the corner. A relatively soft chassis that provides a surprisingly supple ride on public roads gives the R8 a squirrelly feel through high-speed transitions such as the Climbing Esses. A touchy brake pedal that initially delivers too little deceleration—and then too much—doesn’t inspire confidence, either.
It’s possible to outfit an R8 with track-appropriate Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, but our test car arrived on more-street-friendly Pirelli P Zeros. On the track, the P Zeros heat up quickly and their grip all but evaporates. The R8 has rear-biased all-wheel drive, and greasy tires make it a challenge to control the oversteer. Based on our experience with Cup 2 tires, we’d guess that they would’ve been a better match for the ridiculous speeds dialed up by the R8’s mighty V-10.
On the scales, the R8 weighs a not-insubstantial 340 pounds more than the Huracán, and the mass can be felt as the R8 begins to break away and keeps going. Despite the R8’s tendency to monkey around, though, it’s still 1.4 seconds quicker than the previous-generation R8 V10 Plus we ran here two years ago. It feels more closely related to that Audi, though, than the Lamborghini.
The R8 is tuned to be an everyday supercar, but track days are not its best days.
Speed Traps
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The McLaren 570S may not have posted the quickest lap, but it was the fastest thing on the track, hitting 162.8 mph. Of the four fastest cars we recorded, note the Porsche 911 GT3 RS’s trace: It dips below the Audi R8’s just north of 130 mph because of aero drag.
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