This is how it started though. About eight months ago Audi said that not only could we run an R8, but we could spec it ourselves. So I opened it up to the floor and invited everyone to have a crack at the configurator and see what came out. These are just some of the results.

The curve ball to throw in here is that we want the car to look strong in pictures, so making it look like a black hole wasn’t an option. We umm-ed and ahh-ed about big wheels, what colour the side blades should be, whether to have the laser lights or not, but on one thing was I absolutely emphatic: we wouldn’t be having the Dynamic steering.

That’s the variable ratio steering rack that not only removes steering feel, but makes it difficult to predict how the steering will respond when you turn into a corner. It’s what undid the R8 when we group tested it against the McLaren 570S and Porsche 911 Turbo S last October.