Audi R8 Quattro 2ds Coupe

Pros
Admirable balance of handling ability and ride comfort, high-tech suspension and transmission, roomy cockpit, upscale interior design and materials, easy-to-drive nature.
Cons
Can't match the straight-line pace of a Porsche 911 Turbo or Corvette Z06, lack of factory-supplied customizing features.
What's New for 2008
The 2008 Audi R8 debuts as the brand's first midengine exotic sports car. Highlights include aggressive styling, an aluminum body structure, a 420-horsepower V8 and all-wheel drive.
2008 Audi R8 Overview
Introduction
High horsepower and low quarter-mile times are great and all, but in an era when speed comes cheaper than ever, any manufacturer that expects to launch a successful six-figure sports car out of the blue had better bring something unique to the table. The midengine 2008 Audi R8 could be just the thing.
Certain design aspects of the R8 might bring to mind a Porsche, a Corvette or the late Acura NSX, but because the R8 carries a 4.2-liter V8 in its midsection, sends 420 hp to all four wheels, offers two transmissions and wraps it all in an aluminum space frame, this Audi clearly has its own attitude. The only car coming close to that description wears the name Lamborghini Gallardo -- no surprise, as that midengine exotic provided the basic blueprints for this one. Audi's $70-grand-lower price tag ensures the competition will be minimal, as does the R8's two fewer cylinders and 100 fewer horsepower.
Yet the R8 is undoubtedly fast. Sixty miles per hour comes up in 4.4 seconds, a quoted top speed of 187 mph arrives not much later, and tire grip approaches a full g -- all par for this potent class. Among the bigger differences: the R8 lets its driver exploit that speed through a six-speed manual or "R tronic" transmission (Audi's newest take on the clutchless manual); Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive allows hard driving with an extra degree of confidence; and perhaps above all, the R8 incorporates Audi's usual concessions to comfort rather than raw performance. Consider its advanced, ride-friendly electromagnetic shock absorbers, for instance.