X R8ed

Yah no, it’s nice when you have some model names that make for a cute headline.

We'll take it, even in this chocolate-box brown.

Anyway, so Audi’s “fastest ever droptop” has finally landed in South Africa, some months after making its debut as Tony Stark’s ride in the action-packed blockbuster, Iron Man 2. Elsewhere it’s available with the V8 engine, but we’ll only be getting the V10 version – the same 517hp (386kW) motor seen in the faster coupé.

At R2 104 000 the Spyder (in manual form) is only R154 000 dearer than its tin-top brother. Sure, it’s the price of a Fiat 500 more expensive, but it’s about a billion times sexier and everybody in Camps Bay knows you can’t put a price on pose-cred. Now you can go from shaded to sunbaked in 19 seconds, thank to the retractible fabric  top, and it can be operated at speeds of up to 50km/h – way faster than you’ll ever be going on the main drag.

Those two oval pipes are all the sound system you need.

For the gadget-heads, it’s packed full of toys. The mega asking price includes Bluetooth prep, satnav, Nappa leather heated seats and a bitchin’ Bang & Olufsen audio system. But you won’t need that. Ever. Because there’s a V10 engine behind you and the roof folds down. Audi should just credit Spyder buyers like R20 000, or whatever the speaker system costs, and let that money be used for paying fines they get while speeding through the Hugenot tunnel.