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Audi's R8 V10 Spyder is one of the world's most powerful convertibles

Cape Town - When I initially saw images of Audi's R8 Spyder test car I frowned a little at the hue, bright 'Vegas Yellow', as I thought it didn't quite match the supercar's intent. Oh boy, how wrong I was. 

In the metal it looks absolutely stunning and gives it a whole lot of personality. Okay, so it has a cool paint job but the highlight of the R8 is undoubtedly its high-revving V10 engine that produces 397kW and 540Nm. 

Audi utilises a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox in its R8 and with the paddle-shift gears it makes the driving experience very racy when firing through the slick-changing gears. 

The R8 isn't a hardcore machine that one needs to wrestle with while tackling Franschhoek Pass, its four-wheel drive system offers a composed drive when taking on a fast, sweeping bend. 

The Spyder without a doubt is more dramatic than the coupe we tested last year. The electronically-powered soft top takes 20 seconds to open and close at up to 50km/h. 

And when the roof is lowered, the screaming V10 can be heard just behind your head and that's an experience very few cars give you.  

Watch our clip on the R8 here:

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