I was lucky enough to receive an invite by Audi for their R8 Private Drive event in Dallas. I'm a long-time Porsche lover (and still am), but any opportunity to take a great car on the road is appreciated. We were given a brief 20 minute prep presentation and then went out for a group drive for two 20-minute sessions around Dallas (highways, city streets).

Since my GTS is a 6spd, I chose a 6-spd manual when I completed my reservation. I expected to be driving V8 coupes, but when we went out to get in our cars, I was thrilled to see the line of V10 Coupes and Convertibles. I did see one V8 Spyder, but that was it. Apparently they knew my favorite color, because we were lucky enough to be assigned the Sepang Blue with Silver Side Blades. What a gorgeous car!!!

Driving Impressions:
* WOW.
* Great Sound...absolutely astonishing. Who needs a stereo in this car? What else would you possibly want to listen to? Other than Traffic Reports...
* Great Interior (it is an Audi)...but much less legroom than the 997. My friend is 6'5" and he struggled to fit in it, which is a shame, because he would (and could) buy one on the spot if only there was another 2-3 inches.
* The drive is so much smoother than a 997. Even with the suspension set to firm, it was better than a 997 is normal mode.
* Triple digits happen very quickly, and without really noticing. I could not own this car as I'd be put behind bars.
* This could easily be a daily driver...it rides that well.
* Smaller Frunk than 997.
* Driving these cars is more of an 'event' than a 997.
* While a 997 TT is probably 'faster' than the R8, the R8 feels much more planted and stable.

After all is said and done, I'd love to have one of these in my garage, but need more income as I wouldn't feel right driving it daily.

But what a car...I'm more impressed than I expected to be. You R8 people should count yourself lucky...

Great write-up and itīs nice to see a real Porsche guy "looking over the fence".
you are right with all your observations.
a midengine V8, V10 or V12 sportscar is almost impossible to beat in terms of sound and spectacle. Even Porsche knows that (Carrera GT).
The R8 is on my Top 10 list of "all-time-favourite cars", along with the 911 of course and a few exotics. Itīs so good at everything it does. The R8, esp. the V10 is a very fast car but Audi doesn`t focus on ultimate performance. They don`t care that much about besting Ring records unlike Porsche, Nissan etc. Itīs the balance of sport, stability, quality, ride comfort and looks that matters for them. And the R8 is the pinnacle of this philosophy.

BUT after reading all of the the new 991 reviews, Porsche has learned their lesson from cars like the R8 as far as comfort, stability and even sound is concerned. The new 991CS is comfy, as fast as the GT3 and, call me nuts, but i think, it sounds as intoxicating as a GT3 too!

P.S. The color is epic + it sucks that your friend is too tall for it!

As a former Porsche owner for the past 16 years selling a 997 turbo and buying the V10 R8 Spyder all I can say is WOW.

The Audi is exceptional, the sound is 100X better especially topless.

The Audi grows on you and overall is a step up from the 911 IMO.

Nice review. I loved my 997 C4S and my 997 GT2, but neither was the all around daily driveable supercar that the R8 V10 is. I'm VERY happy w/ the Audi. That said, I'm eagerly looking forward test driving a 991 TT and GT3.

Picking up my Ibis White 2012 R8 5.2 tomorrow. Just got out of my 996 turbo to purchase this thing!

Golf Clap!!! Congrats. That car is so much more than I have it credit for.

Sorry... didn't mean to troll on your post. I've been counting down the hours until I pick it up tomorrow and I guess in my exuberance I didn't read the full post. If it helps, I've been working two jobs the past few years in order to increase the amount of income needed for this car to get the approval required for financing the car.

I don't mean to be insulting but I learned a few years ago when trying to buy the R8(V8) that companies aren't willing to lend money to people that haven't taken a loan this size before. I bought a few cars here and there to try to increase the monthly payment till banks felt that I could finance the car reliably. It's been a few years in the making and I guess when I saw this post, my excitement got the best of me.

I apologize.

No Apologies necessary! Maybe my response came across the wrong way... As much as I love my Porsches, after driving that car I can't blame anyone for buying one (at least the V10...haven't driven a V8). It's a fantastic car...and it sounds like you certainly deserve it.

Enjoy in good health!

People love Porsche because that is classical, and rich in history and racing experience. Audi is grand new competitor in the super car market, but the R8 already convinced that Audi is not a loser. People loves their car for different reasons, but as they love it, that is enough!

Where is your tall friend cramped? Leg room, head room or both? I'm 6'2" but short legged and run into a lot of cars that I "should" fit in but don't. The R8 is a very appealing car.

Mechanically speaking we live in a golden age.

He's 6'6" and had the seat all the way back. Left leg had to stay bent 45 deg or so in order to not bump up against clutch or brake pedal.

I'm 6'0" and had room to spare.

Awesome! I think that I had the same R8 for the R8 private drive in Chicago. What a beast, I agree with your whole write up the suspension was the most impressive thing in my opinion.

Small world!

Glad to see someone else was interested enough in the car to actually raise the engine cover. All anyone in our group did was go look at the other color combos. I wanted to checkout the business-end of the car.

It was a great event, I'm sure they were good all over. They rented out the top floor ballroom at Hotel 71 downtown and the whole parking lot next door. Audi went all out, very impressed.

If Audi were trying to promote brand loyalty, they surely succeeded in my opinion.

Hello all, I just did the Audi Private Drive in Los Angeles and it was awesome.I got to drive the R8 for about a hour.Currently I have a 2011 Turbo S.Believe it or not ,I am now on the verge of trading it in on the R8 5.2.The guys on the Porsche forum say it is a mistake.The comfort of the cabin and exhaust sound and the way it drives really has got me convinced it is the right move.Do you Audi guys agree????....or understand.