A V10 engine, practical, quick, and an exhaust system that sounds like music to the ears. These are the characteristics that define an Audi R8. It hasn’t been that long since Audi last updated the R8 design, and looking over the past transitions the R8 has undergone, one thing is certain: The design only keeps getting sharper and crispier. However, can the same be said for the new 2018 R8? As the saying goes, too much of something can never be good. However, don’t take my word for it since the major changes on the new R8 lie in its design and design, as we know, is highly subjective.
This is one of those cars that needs to be pictured in a specific angle in order to look like what it possibly would look like in flesh. Most cars don’t necessarily look the same as do in the pictures, rather they look a lot better in real, the Aston Martin Vantage being one example. However, as for this R8 there are certainly mixed emotions. Audi hasn’t exactly revised the entire design, they have mostly worked on the front bumper, and bits and pieces of the rear diffuser.
Let’s start off by talking about that front end. The grille is now wider, the air vents below the headlamps are more edgy and aggressive doing a great job at enhancing the character of the R8. Perhaps the one thing that bothers me when I lay my eyes on it is how it looks like a render done by some designer mashed into the R8, and that’s because the only visible change is in the front. This leads to the car just not looking right. What I see is the previous generation R8 with a front-end I’m not used to seeing, and that makes me uncomfortable.
I’d say the same goes for the rear-end too. The only concrete difference at the back of the car is the bulkier diffuser around the exhaust tips, and on that note, the size of that exhaust is very satisfying indeed. Still, just as the case is with the front-end, the rear just doesn’t fit right in with the revised design. Sure, it looks decent and I’m sure this will grow on me as time passes, by no means is it a bad design, just one that I’m not used to because of the addition of the bulky aero kits to the car. So the verdict would be that the R8 looks great, but will take some time for me, and perhaps other to get used to as well. However, what really bothers me is the drop-top version of the updated R8.
When looking at the R8 with its top down, the one thing that seems to be missing is the constant flow of design from the front to the back. The front looks low and bulky, the sides looking like the typical R8, and then there’s the bulge behind the driver’s seat. A design like that simply doesn’t gel well with a convertible. In my opinion, the R8 with it’s top down is a proper lifestyle car. It isn’t something you’d take to the track, nor is it anything you’d go drag racing in with a couple of friends. This is the kinda car you wanna drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, top down, with your significant other, accompanied by the smooth sounding hum of the v10 engine.
The revised R8 Spyder however, looks more like a track weapon, and it obviously makes no sense to take a soft top to the track. The car simply looks too aggressive for a convertible. Now, putting that aside it is possible that the revised R8 Spyder can actually turnout to be a success. That’s because there are people for whom convertibles should be fast and aggressive, perhaps for the enthusiast who wants to have a proper aggressive looking car, but can also slow down every now and then and drop the top for a cruise in the mountains. For something like that, the R8 Spyder might just pass off as an amazing convertible.
Coming to the back of the R8 Spyder, I can’t complain about just how good this looks with the top up. The gloss black accents, those wide, edgy fenders and that black top somehow just go well together. It’s quite rare to come across a soft top that actually looks good even with the top up. Well, to sign off, I’ll leave you with this: The R8 looks quite decent, however I am unsure as to whether the extra aero bits are overdone or not. As for the Spyder, let’s just say that this one can possibly give rise to a new type of market for enthusiasts.
WAGON RIDER 