Audi R8 V10, Porsche Panamera: Driving report from Hakone turnpike in Japan

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Audi R8 V10, Porsche Panamera: Driving report from Hakone turnpike in Japan

If you have ever been to the Hakone turnpike in Japan you know how much fun it is to drive there. Even more with an Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro and a Porsche Panamera. Great driving report!

We’d come of course to the Hakone Turnpike, a legendary strip of enthusiast tarmac that’s featured in countless Japanese car mags, videos and on the net.

It’s Japan’s own Col du Turini, a storied and picturesque mountain road that’s fast, well surfaced, quite wide, full of high G-force corners, dips under and over bridges and throws in some heart thumpingly long straights as well.

Do it once, do it a dozen of times, the Turnpike is always great and at this time of year with the leaves changing colour amid the clear, crisp mountain air, it’s more compelling than ever.

The Audi predictably makes mincemeat of the Turnpike. You just can’t argue with the precision and feel of that stellar mid-engined chassis, nor with the power, sound and shove of the 5.2-litre V10. The R8 is also beautifully presented and dripping with cool design touches.