I would take one in a heartbeat if I had the funds, and I'm not just saying that because I'm an Audi enthusiast and have been since my teens. With the R8, Audi have proven that when they set out to do something with full conviction, they can do so at least as well as anyone else. When it was announced the naysayers were queueing up to write it off, claiming that a volume manufacturer (albeit a premium one) would be out of their depth and punching above their weight taking on the likes of Ferrari and Porsche. Now that the car has proven itself on the road and on the track - often giving the competition a bloody nose in the process - those naysayers are curiously silent. The badge snobs have been proven wrong and Audi have shown that just because they build a 1.6 A3, this doesn't mean that they cannot produce a serious 'supercar' worthy of comparison with the best. One can only imagine what a car as technologically advanced as the R8 might have cost if it hadn't have had the R&D might of a successful volume manufacturer behind it?

I understand that the order book here in the UK is full up until the end of next year, and lightly used examples are changing hands for several thousand pounds over list. One enthusiast I know was one of the first to put his name down for one, and has owned several Ferraris as well as a string of high performance Audis over recent years. He says that the R8 is the first car he's ever had that actually makes him sad when he arrives at his destination. He has the means to buy virtually anything and isn't easily impressed, and yet when his R8 arrived he virtually slept in it. The only downside to ownership in his opinion was the constant, never ending attention it attracted (as mentioned above) - something he never quite got with his Ferraris.

Looks are of course subjective, but in terms of its design I find it extremely hard to find fault with the R8. Every curve, every line makes sense and has its place. I would urge anyone who isn't quite sure but who hasn't seen the car to reserve judgement until they finally do see it in person. It's extremely difficult to describe the presence this thing has, and photos don't always do it justice. I'm a big Porsche fan and have enormous respect for their cars, but next to the R8 the various iterations of the 911 just look, well, old to me now.

When the R8 is compared to the likes of Ferrari etc., one aspect which is often overlooked is one of build quality, fit/finish etc. In my experience and opinion, this is one area in which the R8 comfortably eclipses Porsche and especially Ferrari. The latter seem rather 'fragile' to me, and owner experiences would seem to back this up. Being British, I wish I could say that Aston Martin are worthy of comparison too, alas I cannot. As for the interiors, I would echo the sentiments of many others and say that to date I haven't seen anything from Stuttgart or Maranello which measures up to the standard set by the R8.

I think the fact that Audi have achieved what they have with the R8 at their first attempt is a remarkable accomplishment, and I hope that one day I will be able to realise my dream of being able to buy one of my very own!