Okay... 

When people talk to me about the Audi R8, I tend to roll my eyes (deliberately) in front of them because I've never given the car much notice. I love the engines... anything with an ''FSI'' (Fuel Stratisfied Injection) badge gets my instant approval - but I just haven't before now understood the shape of these cars, nor why they exist.

Opinion aside... as we drove up to where this Audi R8 was parked.. my reaction was ''OH MY GOD!! THE WHEELS!!'' <- which sent me on an hour and a half long, love affair, with a car that I previously hated. 

Wow! The WHEELS! This is what the Audi R8 needed - a little loving from its Lamborghini sibling... Perfect! You really do need to see the car in the flesh, to understand what the Lamborghini Gallardo wheels do to this car. It is a COMPLETE transformation and has had me thinking about these cars in a different light ever since.

Once again, I very impolitely (sorry Albert) snatched the keys and fired the R8 into action. Oh yes... Heaven! These cars are very easy to drive - the Manual Stick makes a 'Ferrari' click as you change through the gears, and has a soft, mechanical feel to it. Immediately you are aware that you aren't sitting in a 'normal' VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) car. Some extra care has gone into the production of these motors.

The Interior -

Very comfortable. I could happily sit in this car for commuting, or a long journey. Plenty of legroom, and the centre console is easy to navigate. You need some experience before attempting to drive this car if not you'll knacker the clutch quite quickly! Balancing the throttle when pulling away is a fine art. The Engine - 

With 420hp to play with, you'd be a lunatic to say you aren't impressed with the standard power. In comparison to driving a Porsche 911 it isn't as light, so doesn't feel as quick, but the chassis is nimble and can be thrown about - which resulted in a LOT of giggling as we approached the next set of traffic lights! People parked next to us must have thought we were crazy - but watching how Albert controls this car on roundabouts and corners was a pleasure. I didn't dare copy his skill because - 1, it isn't my car... and - 2, he was sat next to me ;-) :P ;-) 

The Exterior - 

Very, very nice. As said, I never really liked the look of these cars, but with those wheels I am smitten. Sat next to its brother, the Knight-Racer Ltd Nissan GTR (R35) they look like a pair of hooligans, prepping for a fight outside The Den (Milwall). You need to have at least five Stone Islandgarments for this. With a contrasting Paul Smith/Armani Jeans/Gucci in the evening to compliment the Audi R8's appearance. Basically, if you wear Lonsdale Tracksuits from Sports Direct this car isn't for you. The same goes for those who dress their newborns in Adidas Tracksuits... bitch please.

To sum this up. I had an amazing day driving both the Audi R8 and the Nissan GTR (R35). I am really enjoying these car 'reviews' and would like to thank everybody who has lent me their cars and allowed me to drive all these things that I cannot afford! :P 

I will re-visit this Audi R8 for remapping very soon. I'm looking forward to getting some logs of the engine before/during/after and then maybe heading to a Rolling Road for some power tests.

Nicholas Lawrence //ON CARS