It's all in the curves

Driving through Beverly Hills with the windows down, I heard the driver of a passing Mercedes utter an involuntary “Whoooaahhh!” that rushed past in the slipstream. I realize that flashy new cars tend to draw an inordinate amount of attention in the first few months of their life, but Beverly Hills is about as jaded an environment as you find, and the R8 was the subject of more cellphone photos than a Lindsay Lohan-Paris Hilton bar brawl.

And when so many cars hide their motors under a plastic shroud, the R8’s overachieving 4.2 is proudly displayed under a transparent cover for all to see. You can even order twin white L.E.D. lights in the engine bay to bathe the motor in a soft glow when the parking lights are on. That’s cool.

The Times has a gushing review of the 2008 Audi R8. This beauty is like the one reason why I wouldn't want to save the environment by buying a Prius. Look at those curves! Never mind the 0-198mph in 15 seconds or whatever, that thing is just flat-out hot.