I showed up bright and early on Monday April 28th...and saw this amazing site:
R8 in front of new Audi Center at Infineon Raceway
Another shot
Massive 8 pot calipers in the front w/19" wheels
4 pot in the rear
Row of R8s
Close up
The lounge
We spent a little time in the classroom learning about the proper seating position, cornering and braking theory, car control and more about the R8 itself.
BASE PRICE: $110,000
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 254 cu in, 4163cc
Power (SAE net): 420 bhp @ 7800 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 317 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 104.3 in Length: 174.4 in Width: 74.8 in Height: 49.2 in
Curb weight: 3450 lb
PERFORMANCE:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.0 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 185 mph
Then before we knew it, we were behind the wheel. We started by doing a simple lead/follow on a small autocross course to test our braking and acceleration abilities. Once we felt comfortable, we then moved onto a small slalom. There, we honed our throttle control and car control skills. Then it was off to the track!
The car I flogged. A black w/carbon fiber R8 - 6 speed manual
Another shot
My first driving partner, Jerry
First lap, up the hill
Jerry pushing the car through turn three
Waiting for the next heat
A nicely fried tire!
Video - Short Track
Video - Full Track
After all of the track time (I think I did about 50 laps over the 2 days), I did see my lap times drop, while my cornering and straightaway speeds increased significantly. By the end of the second day we were touching 120 mph at the end of turn 6!
When it was all over I was exhausted...and a whole lot faster!
