Audi R8 vs Aprilia RSV4: V-engine Concerto
Four wheels, 10 cylinders and two doors, or two wheels, four cylinders and no doors?
When you’re driving an Audi R8, Sunday drivers become particularly aggravating. They block local roads and crowd the left lane of the highway when all you want to do is unleash the 525 horses under the R8’s hood. My solution was to take to more remote and deserted roads. My main concern wasn’t speed, but sound, since I wanted to compare the music of the Audi’s V10 to that of the Aprilia RSV4’s amazing V4 engine. Why not find out if the German vehicle’s mechanical concerto is as exhilarating as the Italian’s?
I chose the Audi after asking an automobile reviewer which modern car model had, in his opinion, the nicest exhaust and engine sound. Without hesitating, he chose the Audi R8, but added that “you absolutely must choose the model with a V10 engine.” Retail price: $193,495. Now, all I had to do was find one.
A Lamborghini also could have done the trick, since it has the same 5.2-litre V10 (Lamborghini and Audi both belong to Volkswagen), but the Lamborghini importer didn’t return our calls. Fortunately, with the help of our reviewer friend, I managed to get my hands on a magnificent white Audi R8. In fact, it was better that way. Lamborghinis and Ferraris are so flashy that it’s almost embarrassing to drive them. It’s as though you’re screaming (while sticking your tongue out): “I’m rich, I have a red car and you don’t!”
As for the Audi, it has its share of presence, but it’s more reserved, true to the German tradition. With the Audi, it’s like you’re quietly saying: “Obviously, I’m richer than you, but all this money simply allows me to drive a very cool, excellent vehicle.” My test partner and I were also able to test how attractive the Audi is when filling up at a gas station. A very pretty fortysomething stared smiling at our test driver for several seconds. She seemed to be saying to herself that he must be brilliant, smart and rich. If only she knew the truth…
Basically, after signing some papers without really reading them – because they probably said that we’d have to pay if we crashed the Audi – this four-wheel beast was ours. Before setting out, we took the time to examine the roof’s alcantara interior covering, which is a high-tech fabric that adds $2,000 to the cost of the R8. At that price, you should take a few seconds to run your fingers over it and appreciate its smoothness and refined elegance. The special leather seats are also worth a closer look, especially since they add another $4,000 to the bill. The standard seats are already made of leather, so we tried to figure out what extra appeal you get for four grand. The passenger compartment is compact without being cramped, and the interior finish is the picture of opulence and taste. And the best part was that our R8 was equipped with a classic manual transmission with a real clutch on the floor: no little semi-automatic levers. Yes!
When you start the V10, you notice right away that it has a rough side, a very strong presence and you hear it clearly. That’s normal, since it has a central engine so it’s a very close 30 cm behind the driver. We also noticed that it makes the whole body vibrate. According to a young car fanatic that we know and took for a ride in the R8, the vibrations are due to the fact that it was built rigidly (and not on rubber absorption blocs). This theory seemed logical.
On the road, the Audi R8 turns out to be an incredible source of adrenaline and fun backed up by refined mechanics. When you press the accelerator, it springs forward ferociously. But thanks to its quattro all-wheel drive system, it accelerates particularly efficiently, even on wet pavement. And the sound! The R8’s red zone begins at 8,500 rpm, which is a very high speed for a big car engine. Up to about 5,000 rpm, the engine sound is reminiscent of a big American V8, which is already quite good. But at higher speed, the claws come out and the low music gradually becomes the roar of a wild animal. It’s hard to keep yourself from roaring right along with it!
In fact, it’s as though you’re conducting an orchestra with your right foot. A little pressure with your right foot and the bass section plays a full and powerful sonata. Next comes the strings, the electric guitars and finally a punk band hopped up on speed (at about 8,000 rpm).
The conventional wisdom that the R8 is more luxurious than the average in its class is true, but that doesn’t make it any less of a typical sports car. The suspension is very firm even in Normal mode, and in Sport mode it performs just like you’d expect a race car to perform (not that we’ve ever test driven one). Braking, on the other hand, is something we know a thing or two about: a little tap on the pedal and the R8 slows down just as enthusiastically as it accelerates, like modern supersport motorcycles that brake very well with only one finger on the lever. We had never seen a car that brakes so powerfully.
The transmission was surprising, primarily because the lever is in a metal guide plate. Our car reviewer friend suggested that it’s likely a nod to traditional exotic supersport cars, and to Italians ones in particular. But it takes some time to master. Maybe because of the guide plate or because it needed a very powerful transmission to control the 525 available horses, we felt like we were handling a truck’s gearbox. That may seem like a disadvantage, the experience was actually quite good. Think about it, if you can learn a new task in a few minutes, will it keep your interest? Once you finally find the perfect technique, the satisfaction will be even greater. You have to apply firm – but not too firm – pressure, aim correctly, and then you can shift gears smoothly and feel the new thrust of the engine every time. Fantastic.
Meet the Aprilia
With the mercury belong 10 degrees on a cool autumn day, the Aprilia has to be driven carefully. It’s better to be safe than sorry with cold tires on cold asphalt that’s occasionally covered with gravel. Compared to the Audi and its very low seats, the RSV4 seems quite high. In reality, although the Aprilia is good for tall riders too, it’s a very small motorcycle. It was specially designed for a small but very speedy Italian: Max Biaggi.
In any case, the cold weather didn’t stop us from putting the RSV4’s four-piston orchestra to work. And what beautiful music! The sound level is surprisingly high for a factory standard silencer, and it suits us just fine. It would be a sin to muffle a concert like that. Although it has a few pairs of V cylinders less, the Aprilia produces just as satisfying a sound. It vibrates very little and when you gear up, you can feel the engine becoming more and more excited. On a two-wheeler, since you’re not shielded in a passenger compartment, and since it’s the entire body that’s driving, everything seems more intense.
When motorcyclists compare cars to bikes, they often come to the conclusion that motorcycles produce more raw sensations. There’s definitely some truth in that statement, but the Audi shouldn’t be penalized simply because it has two more wheels, or because it costs a fortune. Let’s say it’s a car that makes it a point to feel like a motorcycle, and kudos to them for doing it! That’s also why its engine is very visible. It’s enclosed in glass, like in a museum, and to highlight it even more, it’s surrounded by carbon fibre panels worth $4,500. What’s more, it’s lit up, which means that when closing the door, you still see it for a few seconds, bathed in a soft light. To hear the sound of both machines, see Derreck Roemer’s video on cyclecanadaweb.com.
In conclusion, let’s enjoy that the Aprilia RSV4 can bring us so many thrills and fun for only $19,945, which is less than the cost of the taxes for the Audi. Even the factory standard model with special suspension that we tested ($25,495) seems super accessible by comparison. Less doors, less cylinders, but just as much music and more money in your pocket.