One of my favorite moments in the film «Some like it hot» — when the hero Tony Curtis reclines on the couch of snow-white yachts Osgood Fielding the Third and supposedly can not feel the excitement after kissing Marilyn Monroe.
— And now? — Darling asks him after a drunken kisses. — Who do you feel anything?
— Well... ummm... — mumbles «Josephine» — I think it was.
About the Josephine and I felt that I took for a test drive one of the most anticipated cars of me — the new Audi R8. Audi, of course, not Marilyn Monroe, and that the dead man from the grave could raise, but still such a car to stir the driver should not be so difficult.
It is, of course, beautiful. Low, predatory, sports, at the same time it is able to do two incompatible things — to merge with others and stand out from the crowd. Even as dark green, marsh, closer to gray in color with a matte finish and carbon inserts, it can hide, so that it will not notice it. But the squat as if flattened silhouette will not let the eye that accidentally caught it in focus. This is a normal predator mimicry: to hide, to attack.
But if you suddenly saw in my text hidden «but» you should know that you are not mistaken. Behind the wheel of this car, I was never able to feel in place. On the one hand, I liked it, I have not felt tamer, but on the other — to penetrate the car, you need to feel it.
I'll explain now.
His first test day was spent in trying to understand this car. For me at the machine control is the main thing: I get pleasure only when I can say that I feel the car a whole. So I was like that most of the saxophonist Joe movie: five days trying to figure out this excites me a car or not.
Basic attempts were limited to the desire to understand how to achieve smooth motion, for there was no problem with the rest: more gas-less gas, slow down or peretormozit. At one point, I even tried to understand why she happens to understeer — suddenly, diagnosis, when you realize that only the rudder is not enough, and at this point it is necessary to dovorachivat gas to make things happen as it should. Sharp and wayward car did not want to obey and do what was required of him, as though talking to me, «the woman, come out from behind the wheel!»
But the main problem, of course, was not the case. The city, with its constant «speed bumps», holes and irregularities in the asphalt drive on the R8 becomes a real problem: every bump, every pit is imprinted in the memory of your fifth point, and at some point it starts to seriously annoy. And God forbid you do not see in advance the next «lezhakopa» and do not have time to slow down in front of him almost to zero: feed this beautiful car begins to write such pirouettes that inadvertently pose the question: what is it built?
If you do most of their time in the city and on the city streets —Audi R8 is not the best option. This machine is intended for roads, open spaces and endless roads. Travel on smooth asphalt — this is her element, and taking into account the relatively long base and a very small clearance in the city will have problems with underground parking. 105 mm — that's all she can afford and this is 1 cm less than that of the Porsche 911 and the Audi wheelbase 20 cm longer!
When I betrayed her in the press park, she stood in the street, and it surprised me. As it turned out, even the employees of the park are careful to lower it to the underground parking, as lifting angle when leaving the basement was at a critical level. Frankly, I do not put too experiments began in summer it may well stand and outdoor parking.
Driving outside of Moscow finally brought me the happiness of the management of the car. All her strength concentrated under the gas pedal, ready to unquestioningly serve you. You press on the floor — and as if the storm came ashore: a roar erupts from the elements themselves beautiful V10. And it seems he has no limits — except for speed limits.
Thank you, New Riga, you're very close. Let not even get sometimes go to Moscow Raceway, still 110 km / h speed limits are a feast for test cars like R8. You want to check and how the dynamics of instantaneous depressed gas pedal to the floor and gradually move stringy speed dial. 610 hp this is no joke, and the dynamics of the machine such that up to 100 km / h it accelerates in 3.3 seconds!
Sighting watching right now for a lot of different auto-racing series, I see a breakthrough is made in the Audi touring car racing. If we take the example of the same Blancpain GT Series, it is clear that leadership is largely in the hands of the two brands — Audi and the Mercedes, and Audi are clearly way ahead. What else is important — so that the number of technical gatherings at cars from Ingolstadt — the minimum. This means that the development of technologies takes place in harmony with the vehicle safety and stability development.
It so happened that on the R8 test I was almost directly in front of the DTM. Of course, the idea could not be implemented to put behind the wheel of one of the pilots of the garage Audi, but during the official dinner, I got to talk with Miguel Molina.
Molina speaks for the team Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi on the RS5, in his personal possession Audi RSQ3, but, of course, he went on the entire line, and Audi has a very clear opinion of them. To be honest, it surprised me a little.
— Miguel, it seemed to me that the Audi R8 car is not for the city. It is too tough when it comes to speed bumps or other obstacles on the road, and if in Moscow there are still highways, where the speed limit of 80 km / h, and «not prohibited» reaches 100 km / h (eg, TTK), the Europe, more than 50 km / h in the city did not train.
— Yes, that's right, on a city ride on it annoying, it always asks for more. This is a car for the broad and high-speed roads.
— Tell me, did you go on it on the track?
— Yes, I went, but on the track I liked me even less. I would not like to explain why, but in short, it is too heavy and cumbersome for him.
— And where is her go then?
— This is a car weekend. It is necessary to leave the city to go to the long distance, that's where you get it from a real pleasure. Just ride for speed and dynamics. It is able to very much.
Actually, the fact that it is able to very much, and no one doubts, but about the «go long distances,» — perhaps, yes. R8 is very comfortable inside, it has a very low fuel consumption (I have it even with city driving and traffic jams did not exceed 14 liters per 100 kilometers — and this note to V10!), Perhaps the only negative in this respect — a lack of for my taste insulation. This deficiency could be attributed to the account of tires too noisy — but Michelin Pilot Supersport is hardly too noisy, and the noise is coming not only from the tires.
But you know, what I won R8? Salon.
This happiness — be sleek interior without endless monitors distractions as a result of driving. Dashboard lacks a head, all the information on it is displayed, — more than enough.
There are, of course, and funny moments. For example, additional capacity for various personal items are implemented as hinged pockets behind the seats. A tiny compartment with mesh in the front luggage compartment and does cause misunderstanding what it is.
However, these details, like everything else, leads to an understanding that this car — «all men.» The sharp, strong, unyielding, with character, with the mood, with a completely clear line of conduct. In order to subjugate it, you need to have at least a complex nature and no less firm hand, and then you will find harmony and will live happily ever after.
I'm ready to just say «nobody's perfect», posozhalet of failed relationships and to look for something less fractious, occasionally remembering how it could have be...
