At the last SCDA track day on May 27 at NHMS, I instructed a student in an Audi R8. My student had 15-20 auto-cross days under his belt, but it was his first time out on a larger track.

The R8’s specs are pretty impressive. It produces 420 bhp from its 4.1 liter V8, does 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, and will top out at 185 MPH. It is a heavier car, with curb weights estimated at between 3400 - 3600 lbs. The interior is typicaly Audi quality - elegant and refined without being excessive or gaudy.

I was overall very impressed with the R8, even from the passenger’s seat. The car exudes an air of confidence and assurance, both when parked in the paddocks and when rocketing full steam out of the Bowl at NHMS and past the treehouse. It would do what was asked of it smoothly and without fuss.

The best feature of the R8 is its sheer utility. It is a perfectly fine daily driver, as well as a formidable track beast, and can migrate back and forth without pause. It is the perfect car for driving a track event by day, and taking my supermodel date to the Capital Grille by night, a dual feat few cars are truly capable of performing.