Only a handful of years ago, the prospect of lining up a 拢112,500 mid-engined Audi sports car against a Ferrari, a Porsche or even a range-topping Jaguar would have seemed absurd. Yet such is its profit-fuelled ambition and relentless product strategy that Audi is fast becoming the world鈥檚 most elastic brand, with model ranges that will ultimately stretch across every niche and sector from city cars to supercars. With ten cylinders, 518bhp, 390lb ft of torque and an 8700rpm red line, there鈥檚 no doubt the R8 Spyder鈥檚 5.2-litre FSI direct injection engine possesses some compelling vital statistics. I collect the Spyder from Audi鈥檚 stunningly futuristic 鈥楩orum鈥?in Chiswick, west London. In Brilliant Red with black nappa leather interior, it looks absolutely superb, every bit as good as the coupe. Unfortunately the 250-mile journey to Conwy in north Wales isn鈥檛 exactly on my list of great drives, and it鈥檚 even worse when you leave the capital at three o鈥檆lock on a Friday afternoon.
Sure enough it鈥檚 a five-hour motorway grind, but the drive is at least useful in proving the Spyder can cope easily with the more mundane end of the motoring spectrum. Its supple ride (thanks to the standard-fit magnetic dampers), smooth clutch, torquey motor and light gearshift make easy work of the often stop-start crawl. Of course, when the opportunity arises, that V10 catapults you down the road, and when you鈥檙e just cruising the tremendous Bose hi-fi is more than a match for the combined effects of road, wind and engine noise. The Spyder also gets a ton of attention; proof that a car鈥檚 badge needn鈥檛 be a barrier to supercar status if all the ingredients are there. Next morning, while we鈥檙e waiting for Roger Green to join us in the California, we head into Denbighshire for a full-on day of driving and photography. I decide to stick with the R8. Partly this is because I feel like I鈥檝e earned it after yesterday鈥檚 slog through the traffic, but also because, of the three cars present, the Audi is the most compelling sight.
You sit low in the R8, surrounded by the swoops and curves of the high quality interior. The driving position is pretty much perfect, although despite its shallow waistline and decent visibility you do get the impression the Spyder is a broad slice of exotica. The V10 fires with a bang, then settles into a raucous idle until the engine begins to warm and the exhaust bypass valves close. It鈥檚 a proper supercar soundtrack; less gritty and shouty than its cousin the Lamborghini Gallardo, but brimming with attitude and potency. Even in the first few miles you can tell the R8 Spyder shares the Coupe鈥檚 beautifully engineered feel and responsive-yet-progressive feel to all the major controls. The manual gearbox is one of the sweetest around, sliding between the alloy fingers of the open gate with rare delicacy and satisfying precision. Tickle the throttle and the V10 snorts and bellows with proper big-capacity fire and brimstone. A few layers of sharply tailored canvas barely dissipate the noise, so even with the roof up you鈥檙e fully aware of the engine鈥檚 throttle-controlled mood swings.
Drop the roof - a brilliantly theatrical process that鈥檚 completed in just 19sec and can be done at speeds up to 31mph - and you鈥檙e treated to the full Dolby 7.1 surround-sound experience. 鈥榚vo triangle鈥?the Spyder is sensational. Raw speed, of course, is a given, but through the cruel mid-corner compressions, tightening radii corners and nasty cambers that define our favourite test route it is brilliantly composed. It feels a little softer than the V10 Coupe, but to be honest that鈥檚 no bad thing. The front end is nicely responsive, but the steering stops short of being hyper-alert, so you can push the car hard into a corner with a solid quarter-turn of lock and lean on the available grip. With all-wheel drive, 493bhp, a six-speed manual gearbox, claimed 193mph top speed and a power-to-weight ratio of 305bhp per ton, the 911 Turbo Cab is the R8 Spyder鈥檚 closest on-paper rival.
Yet as I鈥檓 about to discover, on the road the contrast in style, hardware and execution couldn鈥檛 be more different. After the occasion and spectacle of the Audi, climbing into the Porsche is a bit of a non-event. Of course it has always been thus with 911s in general, and there鈥檚 nothing wrong with the quality, comfort or packaging. It鈥檚 just, well, a bit dull and lacking in imagination. Porsche would do well to sprinkle a bit of the Panamera鈥檚 interior design magic in the 911鈥檚 direction. Like the R8 Spyder, the Turbo is an easy and approachable car to drive on first acquaintance. Indeed, so long as you don鈥檛 stray into the zone where all 493bhp and 479lb ft of torque are unleashed, it鈥檚 a spookily docile beast. Switchable dampers (PASM this time) again impart an impressively rounded low-speed ride, while the 911鈥檚 tighter dimensions make it easier to thread through tight traffic than the low-slung Spyder.
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