The Audi R8 sports coupe can be described in two words – rich and powerful. At six-figures before adding any options, it is not a car easily affordable for the middle-income wage earner and with so much power under the hood – it reaches 60 mph in 4.4 seconds - no owner will want to commute daily in rush hour traffic. After five first-places in the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours Race from 2000-2005, Audi downloaded dna from those winning cars to the production R8 and a maximum of 22 cars a day are being meticulously built at Audi’s Neckarsulm, Germany plant. The United States will receive a fraction of those vehicles, all governed at a top speed of 187 mph, even though the speedometer has 220 mph as top end. The R8 comes with a manual transmission only or for $9,000 more, the Audi R tronic sequential-shift gearbox with automatic, our test drive. Both use steering-wheel paddles to shift gears. The R tronic’s torque and power made it almost impossible, due to its high-revving engine, to shift smoothly from first to second gear at a moderate speed, without a slight lag between shifts. To fully maximize its potential, the R8 is best on an Autobahn or closed course where it can be pushed like the racecar it resembles and operate just below its maximum 8,500-rpm. Except for that one characteristic, this coupe is pure sports car, handling so precisely you yearn for a slalom course to challenge. The engine sits behind the cockpit, like a racecar, which aids driving dynamics, and the engine can be seen through the large, rear window. The profile is so striking, onlookers gather when they see the R8 parked. Low to the ground, with a pugnacious front end using wheel flares over 19-inch wheels, followed by a gently curved roof leading to the rear and pair of chrome twin exhaust pipes underneath diffusers that help cool the engine. A spoiler emerges at higher speeds to add downforce. The R8 uses Audi’s Space Frame aluminum body, which reduces weight and improves tensile strength, and along with quattro, permanent all-wheel drive, contributes to driver control that hugs curves tightly at high speeds and conquers corners easily. Audi uses a ‘magnetic ride’ that adjusts the suspension according to speed and road conditions and operates in normal or sport mode. Interior comfort is strong with power leather seats and ample leg/head room. Storage space is coupe-tight – room for small luggage behind the front seats and under the front hood.