Auto Trader Blog

Junior Writer Andy Goodwin’s Car of the Year was the Audi R8.

One of the best cars I’ve ever driven is the Audi RS4. Even on a massively wide speed-sapping runway the German super saloon still felt oh-my-god fast as I pushed the accelerator to the floor.

It was the first car I had driven which felt like it accelerated as hard in fourth gear as it did in second.

Its pumping heart is the sensational 4.2-litre FSI V8, capable of revving to a heady 8,000rpm and it is this motor which stole the show for me.

Now imagine taking this special V8 out of the fairly large four-door saloon and putting it into a purpose built supercar.

Welcome to the Audi R8 – the car which has been blown away all who drive it with its speed and poise.

Once the engine is mounted behind the driver only 44 per cent of weight is over the front wheels, allowing the four-wheel-drive to pretty much rule out understeer and give incredible grip.

The Audi R8 shares many parts its chassis with the Lamborghini Gallardo – but it’s a very different car on the road. It has been designed to be usable everyday and has one of the most comfortable and stylish interiors of any sports car – it even has a pretty decent boot.

It is also fairly quiet until you floor the accelerator at which point a purposeful V8 roar fills the cabin – this is not a supercar which requires you to don ear defenders on a long drive.

The vital stats are highly impressive, if not mind blowing – 0-60mph takes 4.6 seconds and its top speed is 187mph. A V10 version will be released in the coming years with enough power to harass the 200mph barrier and please the most hardcore drivers.

The Audi R8 seems to me to be a jack of all trades and master of most.

Don’t miss the rest of our Cars of the Year - subscribe to the Auto Trader Blog RSS feed now