Audi R8
Mid-engined supercars? They're usually the work of Ferrari and Lamborghini, Lotus or Porsche. You don't expect an extreme car like this to come from a premium German marque like Audi, which mostly specialises in classy, well-made and rather grown-up saloons, with odd indulgences like the TT. Apart from being the most expensive model Audi makes - as well as the fastest - the R8 is all about the thrill of driving for the sake of it, and it's a high-end thrill at that.
This baby Ferrari is quite unlike anything else Audi makes, not only in its technical make-up but also the way it drives. Not only does it deliver all that you'd hope for from a 420bhp mid-engined supercar, but it is also more impressively developed than any other car Audi makes, from modest 1.6 litre A3 hatch through to that W12 SUV behemoth that is the ultimate the Q7. So what do you get for your £80k? Well, the heart of the car, a potent, high-revving V8, is on display for all to see beneath the glass pane of the engine lid, Ferrari-style. It drives all four wheels via a six-speed transmission that is either semi-automatic and triggered by paddle shifts, or a conventional manual. This layout provides the 44:56 front:rear weight distribution that is the key to the ultimate in on-road manoeuvrability, the improved balance of the car making it more willing to change direction than squirming politician.
But it takes more than this to create a competitive supercar. Body rigidity, a low centre of gravity, excellent aerodynamics and sophisticated suspension are just as vital as the raw and sexy drama that makes you look twice. First, though, the substance. The R8's bodyshell is of lightweight aluminium - as with the luxury A8 saloon - and weighs a spectacularly low 210 kilos. It lacks nothing when it comes to rigidity - which is absolutely vital in a 187mph car that is all about cornering - or safety. The body is largely hand-built, and to an exceptional level of accuracy, every bodyshell laser-measured in 220 places, every single component checked to within a tenth of a millimetre.
The R8's drag coefficient is not so impressive at 0.35 - some saloon cars score as low as 0.28 - but this is because the bodywork must generate downforce to keep the car pressed onto the road at speed. In fact, the R8's drag coefficient is the lowest among sports cars that generate downforce, which is produced by an under-floor diffuser and a rear spoiler that extends at 62mph, and does not retract until the car's speed has dropped below 22mph.
Driven Wheels: 4
Top speed: 187 mph
Mercedes Slr Mclaren
Despite sharing part of its name with the seminal McLaren F1, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a very different car from its illustrious forebear. Some people might almost doubt its supercar credentials, as it is front-engined and comes with an automatic gearbox. Yet in terms of sheer performance the SLR's right to number itself among the ultimate supercars cannot be called into serious question. The original 'Vision SLR' concept was first seen at the 1999 Frankfurt motor show, with the production car going on sale in late 2003.Design genius Gordon Murray, the former Formula One designer behind the McLaren F1 led the team responsible for the creation of the production SLR - overcoming many extremely tough engineering challenges in the process. The project was to be based around a vastly strong carbonfibre shell, to keep down weight and demonstrate the crossover of Formula One technology into the car. But the car also had to be front engined, creating enormous issues for the routing of the exhaust system and led to the unique 'side exit' approach. Vast power is provided by an amazing supercharged 5.4 litre V8 engine that produces 626 bhp and 575 lb-ft of torque. Controversially, however, the decision was made to only equip the SLR with a conventional style automatic gearbox, rather than one of the more fashionable semi-auto 'sequential' systems, reducing the car's performance credentials somewhat. Still, the SLR can find an adequate riposte to its sequential rivals: 60 mph from rest taking under 4 seconds, 100 mph coming up in just 7.6 seconds and the car going onto a top speed in excess of 200 mph. Like the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT, the SLR has ceramic brake discs all-round, ensuring massive levels of retardation.
Cost Price: ± $500.000
Engine: V8, 5998 cc
0-62 mph seconds: 3.8
Top speed mph: 207
Jaguar Xk
Don't let the XK's slightly 'sixties-looking front end fool you - behind the shiny E-Type-a like radiator grille lies one of the most technically advanced cars in the world. Constructed from aluminium, the XK is both lighter and vastly stronger than the car it replaces.
The handsome styling works well from every angle, although the shutline at the bottom of the bonnet is maybe a bit obvious - this is due to a clever pyrotechnic system that uses airbags to lift the bonnet in the event of a pedestrian impact. Inside, the XK is reasonably spacious for front seat occupants, with the well-designed cabin finished in a range of soft-feel plastics and thick carpet trim - only a couple of cheap-feeling minor switches coming in for criticism. Technically a "two-plus-two", the XK's tiny rear seats aren't up to carrying anything but the smallest passengers, although they offer a useful addition to the already-generous bootspace available under the rear hatchback. The cabriolet version loses the hatch and a fair bit of luggage space (with the roof down), although it's still class competitive with obvious rivals.
Dynamically the XK is a winner - pliant suspension settings and the option of electronically variable dampers allowing it to combine a smooth ride with high levels of cornering force. High speed progress over rough roads feels effortless, and motorway cruising refinement is impressive, too - both helped out by the sweet-shifting of the six-speed automatic gearbox.
A developed version of the 4.2 litre petrol V8 that did duty in the previous generation XK. It's a great motor - smooth, refined and keen to rev - but it can't disguise a fairly serious performance deficit when compared to the German competition. That is, of course, until you get behind the wheel of the supercharged XKR model whose 420bhp provides truly hair-raising performance and gives a gorgeously hard growl above 4000 rpm. Yet it does without any supercar histrionics and is as comfortable as the best executive cruisers.
Cost Price: ± $80.000
Engine: V8, 4196 cc
Power, bhp: 300
Transmission: 6-spd
Driven Wheels: R
Top speed: 155 mph
0 - 62 mph: 6.1 seconds
Fuel consumption: 25.0 mpg
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