Audi’s sensational new R8 Spyder
The Audi R8 Spyder Plus is a masterpiece – if you’re short enough to enjoy it, says Chris Carter.
The Audi R8 Spyder Plus is a masterpiece if you're short enough to enjoy it, says Chris Carter.
"Give it the full potatoes in the first three gears and you'll need more than Mr Loophole to keep you from a stint at Her Majesty's pleasure," says Stuart Gallagher in Evo."Do the same in the following three gears and you'll want to hope the local constabulary's helicopter hasn't been cleared for take off." The V10 Plus is simply a masterpiece: "intoxicating and as destructive as a fox in a chicken coop". Retract the roof and there is no escaping its "thunderous soundtrack". Revving is addictive and escaping from corners becomes a must.
Variant: R8 Plus 5.2 FSI quattro S tronic Spyder. Price: £149,820. Engine: 5,204cc, V10, petrol. Power: 601bhp @ 8,250rpm.Torque: 413 lb ft @6,500rpm. Transmission: 7-speed dual clutch sequential auto, four-wheel drive. Acceleration: 0-62mph: 3.3sec.
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Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.
Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.
You can follow Chris on Instagram.
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