We tested the new Audi R8 Performance 2019 at the Jerez Circuit

The new Audi R8 Performance for the year 2019 promised to be exciting, all the more so given the chance to get the most out of it on a track, where we can appreciate its dynamic performance and, in short, enjoy a sports car in the truest sense, doing exactly what it was conceived for: running.

On paper, the new Audi R8 Performance does not disappoint. It is a completely extreme sports car. Its new engine delivers 620 CV at 7,900 rpm and 580 Nm of torque at 6,200 through a V10 that sounds the way angels must sound (forgive the cheesiness…).

According to Audi, it is the fastest production car the company has ever built, capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in just 3.1 seconds and from 0-200 km/h in just 9.8. A figure that, after having the chance to test it on the track, we can confirm is 100% real.

Its top speed reaches 331 km/h and it weighs just 1,595 kg, which makes it an agile and thrilling sports car.

Carbon fiber details are present throughout its bodywork, it features a perfectly balanced center of gravity, and its rear spoiler along with other details of the performance version give it an even more radical and sporty look, if that is possible.

It comes with the excellent quattro all-wheel drive, which provides safer control of the car and better response in most situations. It also has an S tronic dual-clutch automatic gearbox, practically instantaneous (one of the best we have tried) and perfect for setting lap times on the track or cruising calmly along the road.

As for its interior, we are talking about a coupé that is also available as a convertible. It features all kinds of top-level details, such as Alcantara on the seats and steering wheel, a multimedia system and technology with the latest software from the manufacturer. USB ports, support for wireless charging, driving modes, and details such as its button layout or its digital instrument cluster with a completely sporty tone that constantly reminds us we are inside an R8.

After all, we are talking about one of the most radical sports cars on the market, whose price once again reminds us how exclusive and special it is, with the performance model starting from €220,000.

How does the R8 fare when we get serious with it on the track?

Obviously there is no better way to test a sports car of the stature of the R8 Performance than on a track, and even more so when that setting is none other than the Jerez Circuit. Thanks to the recommended Audi Driving Experience Sportscar option, we were able to test the new R8 at this iconic venue.

After testing it thoroughly, we can only say good things about what it conveys and how it drives.

From the moment you enter the cabin and sit in its sporty seats, the driving position itself, how low you sit, or its steering wheel make you realize immediately that the R8 is in a league of its own.

Describing the sound of its V10 is difficult, so much so that only by hearing it yourself will you appreciate its beauty. A very German sound, clean and sporty, which is very reminiscent of a Formula 1 car (allowing for the differences) and which is especially noticeable when the car is at high revs.

Its acceleration is instantaneous and its gear shifts are very smooth and responsive.

Thanks to the Race mode, activated by a button on the steering wheel itself, the car transforms into a “demon of the asphalt”.

Both the suspension and the steering stiffen, traction control is reduced to 50%, and the engine’s full potential is unlocked without any kind of restriction or limitation.

But it is when the corners arrive that the good stuff begins. It is already very impressive when you are going in a straight line: its acceleration connects you instantly and lets you enjoy a rising speed that seems to have no end. However, its cornering is, to say the least, outstanding.

Thanks to its chassis and a very well-balanced center of gravity, you can enter corners exaggeratedly fast without fear of crashing. In addition, with its quattro all-wheel drive, when the car begins to lose traction, control is much easier than in a rear-wheel-drive car, so the sense of safety and control at the wheel is outstanding.

Of course, its brakes are of the highest quality, carbon-ceramic, extremely resistant to heat and to much more intense and professional use. They are capable of delivering quality and reliability over an extreme speed run, such as a circuit like this one.

It is also worth highlighting the steering wheel: comfortable, precise and sporty, whose only drawback is perhaps once again the excess of buttons, which at times get in the way when performing certain maneuvers. But of course, we cannot forget that, despite being extreme, the R8 Performance is still a car that can be legally driven on public roads.

The sensations it conveys, however, are very close to those experienced in a racing car, especially, as we said before, in cornering, standing out particularly on corner exit, where, by working the revs, the grip of the vehicle, the extreme delivery of torque, and the engine sound will conquer you and put a smile on your face.

Fun is one of the most positive aspects of the Audi R8 Performance, capable of making you feel like a driver when you enjoy it in the right facilities.

In short, the new Audi R8 Performance is a car capable of giving you all the fun and performance you have always wanted from a sports car. It has a spectacular design, features all kinds of details that enhance its sportiness (carbon fiber, Alcantara, carbon-ceramic brakes, all-wheel drive, etc.), it is extremely fast, eye-catching, works wonderfully both in the city and on the track, and of course, it is a Audi, which naturally embodies German quality in an outstanding way. All of this available from €220,000.

So you already know, if you are one of those lucky people considering buying a sports car in this price range, the R8 Performance will be a safe bet.

Its most direct rivals are the Porsche Turbo and the Mercedes AMG GT R, both excellent options too. However, after having tested this marvel on the track, we can only recommend it and tell you that you cannot go wrong with buying it.