Awesome Audi V10 beats most supercars

It was love at first sight - happy at speed, and equally happy purring through traffic.

Moreover, it's no surprise really, because the muscular 5,2-litre Lamborghini engine happens to be wedged into the same jaw-dropping handsome, wedge-shaped body of the R8 I originally fell so madly in love with.

A big powerful, fine-tuned V8 engine thundering at full volume is the stuff petrol-heads get lyrical about, but it is no match for the aural symphony of 368 Kw and 530 Nm blasted out through big-mouthed exhaust pipes.

The bigger-engined R8 blitzes 0 to 100 km/h in just over four seconds.

And the punch feels 10 times more powerful and so it should with the bigger-engined R8 blitzing the zero to 100 km/h in just over four seconds, good enough to blow rubber smoke into the faces of the V12 Aston Martin Vantage, Bentley Continental GT, Maserati GranTurismo, BMW M3 and the Porsche Boxster SPDK to name only a few.

Even the Lamborghini Gallardo (which costs twice as much as the V10 R8) just beats it by a fraction of a second, thanks to a couple of clever tweaks which gives the Lambo's engine a few extra horses.

Sticks to the road like glue

Many features elevate this German wünderkind to the top echelons of the supercar hierarchy - awesome brakes, glue-like roadholding, rocket acceleration and a body and looks that will bring tears of envy to any lingerie model's eyes.

Wherever I went during my recent passionate one-day tryst with the V10 R8 it drew drooling admiration, big smiles and thumbs up from complete strangers who wanted to hear it, touch it, and even kiss it.

It certainly is the most-photographed car I have ever test-driven and it wasn't just the cap-on-backwards young jollers in their hot hatches who were frothing at the mouth; young and old, men and women, boys and girls, all snapped away to a chorus of oohs and aahs.

The fine-tuned engine thundering at full volume is the stuff that drives petrol-heads lyrical with delight.

Finally my wife now also understands why I have a photograph of the R8 as my screen saver when her friends' husbands have pictures of their wives, dogs, children, bikini models and holiday trips to Botswana on their computers.

The amazing thing about the V10 Audi is that although it loves being whipped at warp-speeds and flung around corners at gravity-defying pace on the race track or along quiet mountain passes yet it's quite happy to purr along in congested traffic.

It is as gentle as a lazy Labrador lying in the sun and because the cabin is furnished in easily recognizable Audi trim there is an air of familiarity about it that is instantly comforting.

What's more, the seats are comfortable, the visibility is good and there is plenty of packing space behind the front seats and in the front luggage compartment. In addition, of course, the sound system is top-class, the aircon does a grand job, the seats and steering are fully adjustable, and a flick of a switch operates the windows and mirrors.

Releasing your inner Schumi

However, comfort, luxury items and practicality are not really the main considerations when one lashes out R2-million plus on a super sportscar. Nope, it's got to look great, sound like a Highveld thunderstorm and fly like a fighter-jet, which is precisely what the V10 does with such aplomb.

Even standing still it looks like it should be shorting out a speed camera or two.

The most difficult thing about this car is to drive it like a responsible citizen because the lure of the loud clack-clacking of the gated gear-shift, the howl of the exhausts and the exhilaration of being pushed back into the driver's seat under fierce juice feed is almost irresistible.

I don't sing under the shower. I don't do air punches. I don't howl with joy. And I don't laugh easily or loudly. Nor do I talk to cars. But during my day behind the wheel of this car I did ALL of that as I wound my way around the Peninsula to Cape Point via Simon's Town and back to Hout Bay via Chapman's Peak.

A gold out of Ingolstadt

Razor-sharp steering precision, impeccable straight line speeds and cornering abilities that make your eyes pop make the V10 something very special. Simply sublime is the only way to describe it….

The first R8 with the V8 engine was Audi's first full go at admission to the elite world of supercars and it succeeded so well that it collected a string of coveted awards since then.

With the V10 Audi has passed on the mid-mounted engine set up, the choice of a six-speed manual or R Tronic transmission, Quattro all-wheel drivetrain, plus the crown for being one of the best, most sophisticated, and most exciting road racers yet to roll out of its famed Ingolstadt production plant.

Comfortable seats, good visibility and the place to be. And you can relax - it's available in RH drive as well.click to enlarge