first look at a v10

[willyjp]

Steve (SBFV10) very kindly let me look over his new baby and hear it at idle!
I don't have a car yet, so I am not intimately familiar with the R8, but I spent a day driving a v8 @ Infineon, so I have some familiarity

I didn't drive or ride in the car but I'll just share a couple of subjective impressions FWIW:

I think the paint scheme changes (black on rear panel area and front areas w. chrome grill) are visually sucessful at distinguishing the v10 and especially conveying a subtle sense of greater power, and perhaps girth? Maybe it was just that Steve's car is white and was in an (open) garage, but it SEEMED WIDER, especially in the rear, than the many R8's I've looked at before. And that is despite the fact that, other than the bulge and crease in the blade sticking out 1/2" more on each side, the car is EXACTLY the same overall width and track (and Steve has the 295 tires). In any case, I think the new paint scheme is expecially successful on Steve's Ibis White. Perhaps less impact on darker cars (and obviously none at all on Black!!)

The sound at idle is certainly different from the v8. A little bit deeper note, I thought and it does have that certain staccato cadence of a v10 that distinguishes it from the rhythmic burble of a v8. Can't comment on the sound beyond that.

Finally, as a number have commented, I am MUCH more appreciative of the v10 "Y" pattern wheel after seeing it in real life. I did not think I cared at all for it from photos I've seen. But what photos fail to convey is the 3-D relief of the surface. Rather than being like a flat stamping or something, the wheel is very much a sculptured surface with considerable depth to go along with it's complicated visual pattern. Just personally, I still would prefer the v8 wheel for my own car, but I am much fonder of this wheel now that I've seen it.....and I think I agree with Steve that it's a nice subtle mark to distinguish the v10. Possibly I'd go with it if I got a v10.

The final thing I noticed was how bright, clear and sharp the instrument and nave displays were, as compared to the '07 car I drove @ Infineon. I'm not familiar enough with it to be able to pin-point the difference, but is it that they changed the display characters to white, from red?

[Davey_Dee]

First of all...what does FWIW mean?

I agree with what your saying about visual differences being successful, not to take anything away from the V8 because that looks great also.

The V10 rims i havent actually seen irl and love them in pics but i have seen the V8 rims and i didn't like them at all, i think theres too big of a gap between each pair of spokes.

[drbf]

I agree with most of your evaluation after test driving a V10, but I do not like the chrome grill.

[Davey_Dee]

I think the chrome grill stops it looking plain

[willyjp]

First of all...what does FWIW mean?

I agree with what your saying about visual differences being successful, not to take anything away from the V8 because that looks great also.

The V10 rims i havent actually seen irl and love them in pics but i have seen the V8 rims and i didn't like them at all, i think theres too big of a gap between each pair of spokes.

for what it's worth.....

FWIW, I only use acronyms on the web, never IRL!

[SDR8]

I think the chrome grill stops it looking plain

"First of all...what does FWIW mean?" = For What It's Worth

I guess I like clean and plain then. I had all the chrome (outside ring and quattro badge) on my V8 grill painted black. I know several people have had the outside ring painted too. Some people like chrome and bright things. Some do not...

[Davey_Dee]

I realise everyone has their opinion, i was just giving mine. I like the chrome other people don't thats fair enough.

[SteveR]

I guess I like clean and plain then. I had all the chrome (outside ring and quattro badge) on my V8 grill painted black. I know several people have had the outside ring painted too. Some people like chrome and bright things. Some do not...

+1

I agree the wheels look better in person, but I still prefer the V8 wheels. That leaves the front chrome as the only styling change in the V10 I don't like. It bothers me enough that I will probably also paint mine. The rings and maybe the border chrome can stay though.

[MikeB]

I had the local body shop look at painting the chrome. They said it wouldn't last at all, especially subject to stuff flying off the road. They were going to put the V8 grille on it, but Audi wouldn't guarantee it fitting. I decided it was actually ok, considering a fair portion of the grille was taken up by the number plate and there were less chrome strips on the V10 than black strips on the V8.

[SBFV10]

I sort of like the way the car looks right "out of the box"

Steve