2018 Audi Sportscar Experience With R8 LMX, RS5 & RS7

2018 Audi Sportscar Experience

The experience provides inexplicable adrenaline rush driving such monsters at the Buddh International Circuit!

The Audi Sporstcar Experience is a one of a kind event where you get to drive almost all the performance cars in their fleet. I got lucky to drive these fire breathing machines at the Buddh International Circuit, which is the Mecca of race tracks in India. The Sportscar experience included track driving with the R8 LMX, RS5 and RS7 along with a Slalom course in the Audi S5, RS7 and RS6.

Let’s talk about the R8 LMX. It was the final limited edition of the first gen R8 and only 99 examples were made to bid adieu to that generation. The LMX was the most powerful version of the R8 having a 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine unleashing 562 horses and 540 Nm of twisting force. Imagine the magic of such numbers on the track. When I sat inside the LMX, my heart was thumping in excitement. It has a raw feel, it’s a no frills car having a basic interior with minimal electronics. There is no electric seat adjustment, basic MMI system, the LMX is just a performance focussed machine.

The lights go green and after I exit the pit lane, all hell broke loose with that massive surge of power from that V10, felt like the Hulk’s punch from behind. Thankfully, the quattro system helped me keep the four wheels in line and I managed to steer out of the first corner without loosing control. The power delivery in the R8 is raw (fun!) and relatively untameable compared to the new age RS siblings and R8. The claimed 0-100 km/hr timing of the R8 LMX is 3.4 seconds and yes it really felt that fast on the back straight of the BIC. Oh boy and that screaming soundtrack of the V10 with those mature crackles and pops when you downshift, it was amazing. The 7-speed dual clutch is very responsive and lets the engine scream up to 8500 RPM redline!

Driving the R8 LMX is a pure satisfying experience on track because it’s meant to be pushed hard and it loves to do what you command. The steering provides excellent feedback, handling is spot on, there is so much grip and the brutal acceleration just tops it all. One thing I realised while pushing it to the limits is that it is an intimidating supercar to drive after I got into the new gen Audi RS5 for my next few laps.

The track day made me realise the huge contrast between the old and new age performance cars

I’ve driven the previous gen Audi RS5 and that car was totally different than what it is now. I could immediately feel the effortless nature of this performance car after driving the R8. The new age gizmos and electronics makes it very easy to push it to the limits without breaking a sweat. The steering doesn’t fight back with you, it doesn’t feel as lively and raw as the R8 while the power delivery is well controlled as the advanced quattro system’s traction management is spot on. Here I’m not comparing these two cars, it is the prominent contrast that I felt after driving the gritty supercars of yesterday and the slick and sassy wheels of the future.

The new Audi RS5’s engine has been downsized and turbocharged. It is powered by a 2.9-litre V6 turbo that churns out 450 BHP and 600 Nm, which definitely feels fast but doesn’t have that character of its predecessor nor the aural satisfaction from the exhaust. However, it is quite a versatile sports car to drive, the practicality such that you can use it as your daily driver and track day? Of course! The interior is loaded with tech, it has multiple driving modes and I personally feel that it is the best looking Audi yet.

Now after driving these two cars having a generation gap, I finally got into the RS7. This one gave me the mixed feelings of the two, it is something in between that was born during the transition of Audi’s performance cars. Heck! Even the engine size (V8) is between the two after driving the V10 and V6. In short, the RS7 offers the practicality of the RS5 that can be driven on a daily basis but is a fantastic acceleration monster as well like the R8. Belting out 560 BHP of untamed power and 700 Nm of twisting force with a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8. The way it delivers power is insane, 0-100 km/hr in 3.8 seconds and that too in a 5-seater 5-door car!

After having some blissful laps around the track, it was time for the Slalom course. The Audi RS7, RS6 and S5 were lined up for this course and amongst these three, the S5 was the quickest since it’s the lightest car and has usable power for the tight course. The sprightly nature of the S5 makes it very nimble between the cones and provides optimum control over the wet section of bends on the Slalom track thanks to the lower weight. The RS7 and RS6 were fast but because of the bulk and sharp power delivery, they were struggling for traction while cornering hard.

I had a ball of a time at the Audi Sportscar Experience driving a wide range of performance cars having distinct characteristics. The R8 LMX simply took the cake, it was the most engaging and fun car to drive at the BIC. Still can’t get over that angry V10 vocals and brutal acceleration, wow! And then there were the new gen beauties of Audi that made me experience their multifaceted nature on the track and off it. Really, automobile engineering over the time has got a huge leap forward with, of course, slight disadvantages like the lack of mechanical feel in cars but on the other side, many more magical advancements as well.