2014 Audi R8, perfection has its price: Motoramic Drives

Parking at Sonoma Raceway for a test drive of the 2014 Audi R8, I quickly realize it’s not the typical track-day press junket. Instead of the random assortment of Chryslers, Toyotas and BMWs with manufacturer plates, there’s a sultry red Ferrari 458, and a couple of R8s on the lot. Their California street plates show that this Audi Sportscar Experience caters to affluent prospective or current buyers, not impoverished and grizzled automotive journalists.

For the event, each participant partnered with another attendee and maneuvered around a short slalom course, did a few track exercises and ran a couple of controlled laps. My co-driver was a Silicon Valley executive who owned an RS5 — and concepts like racing line or braking points were all new to him.

Which only made the R8 more impressive.

Even when driven by someone who’s never harnessed a 400+ horsepower, mid-engined supercar, the resounding stability of the R8 means it’d take dedication to wrap the AWD coupe around a pole. My driving buddy would slam on the brakes midcorner, or lift off the throttle of the 525-hp V-10 and cut the wheel before the bend like he’s steering the Titanic away from an iceberg, and it didn’t matter — the car would give ample warning through the chassis that you’re doing something grossly wrong, with plenty of leeway to make corrections (or have the computer do it for you via its stability control).