...slow and smooth, with occasional manic episodes. but it still feels good :-)

i think you will see really good reviews of this car as the press gets more time with it. very low, very wide, very fast (in the right hands) and very nicely put together. sex on wheels.

thank you richard and jeff and mike and bruce and michael and scottsdale audi!

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hi guys! get in and drive!

we were at a sidetrack of firebird raceway - 1.1 miles, 11 tight turns and a 3/8 mile straight.

basically, we went out in groups of 4 R8s, following an Audi factory driver (these guys were super cool) in an RS4. first lap was warm-up, figure out the tranny and the course, then progressively faster. really made me wanna take courses and be a better driver. coulda gone faster but was nervous with a $100k+ prototype car i don't own, a buddy in the seat next to me (hi richard!), an auto tranny (which makes you lose perspective of your revs and optimal gear choice) and a course i'd never been on.

then i rode along with one of the german guys in a lead RS4 and it was a blast. wish i had done that first, and then jumped in the R8. i would have been more confident on the course knowing how grippy the cars are.

clearly, a great driver in the RS4 can whip it around a track. but i have to say that the R8 feels way stronger, is completely flat in the corners and is tight as hell. after driving the R8 myself and then riding along in the RS4, there is a huge difference just due to the low, wide stance and tuning of the R8. where the RS4 rolls and pitches in tight turns and under braking, the R8 is like a go-cart. not to diminish the RS4 cuz i'm sure the audi guys in an RS4 could smoke any of the attendees in an R8. just sayin.

again, these are my impressions after just a buncha laps with my timid approach and lack of experience, but the R8 is gonna do very well once the press gets ahold of it for extended tests. i can only imagine what the V10 would be like.

drove it against the 911 Carrera S, Aston Martin Vantage, and SL Mercedes.

the 911 was as to be expected and very good. the SL was surprisingly better than what would be expected and the Aston plain sucked!!! the Aston felt heavy, leaned alot, and had aweful skid control.

the comparisons of the 911 against the R8 are SO far off when you just look at numbers. what would hurt the R8 in accel. #s would be both trannies don't speed shift well. What really mattered was how hard the V8 R8 pulled! it is SO much faster than the 911. handling wise, the R8 is very easy, very predictable, and very forgiving. with just ASR (wheel slip) off, the car will spin the rears and rotate the car a good amount under throttle on corner exit. car has INSANELY great brakes too. that'll do it.

I was there too. I haven't had a chance to go over my pics yet.

I was in group 2.

at least that is what the guy in gray(guy that gave the presentation) said.

...R8 and an S5 at the NYC audi forum yesterday. red is the wrong color for the S5.

you live in phx?

so were you hanging around after the event and they moved the r8s over by the fleet of TT's? I was there for quite a while too. I wonder if I talked to you. I was the guy in the black shirt and tan shorts.