Audi R8 5.2 V10 FSI quattro

Audi R8 5.2 V10 FSI quattro

IF you thought that Audi's R8 V8 supercar was fast at 4.6 seconds to 62mph then the V10 version's 3.9 seconds will convince you that you are at the wheel of a true road rocket.

Not that you would use such power in everyday driving, especially on British roads, but it is there lurking in this surprisingly practical beast that has rocked the world of elite motoring.

By practical I mean that it is very manageable in traffic, has the option of a conventional manual gearbox, can cope with average speed humps and most importantly is massively reliable.

It has also caused shockwaves because it is the only production car under £140,000 to combine a mid-mounted engine with four-wheel-drive.

And it is blisteringly fast. With its 197mph capability it takes the podium from the Aston Martin DB9 at 190mph, the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S at 185mph and the Maserati Gran Turismo S at 183mph. It is also the best accelerating car in its class - the Aston Martin DB 9 at 4.6 seconds to 62mph being the only one that can get anywhere near it.

The R8 V10 is also receiving accolades for having the most powerful engine in its class - a 5.2 litre V10 with 525PS on tap - not to mention the best power to weight ratio and excellent residual values.

All this is fine but I was bowled over not by the car's attainments but with the way it copes with everyday driving while having such massive power.

I would not use the words docile or tame, but the R8 V10 was surprisingly manageable in traffic with a clutch that did not snatch or judder and roadholding and brakes that most of us just dream of.

Its road manners are by virtue of Audi's so-called 'magnetic ride' adaptive damping system which is added to the highly-praised Audi double wishbone suspension system.

You do have to keep an eye on the speedo though because the V10 is so smooth and surprisingly silent. This is the only thing that you really have to worry about with this car. In fact it could do with more roars to match the 'Phwoars' from other drivers and passers by.