The engine is an absolutely beauty. Similar engine note and power delivery characteristics to the ST220, just twice as good! I think the sensation of speed is amplified by the sound track which from the inside appears to me pure engine noise - no clever exhaust systems here. It's easily the fastest car I've driven - much, much quicker than the likes of M3's and RS6's.
The sound it makes when starting it up is mind blowing. Hard to explain, but check it out on Topgear or a video or something. The sound is just incredible.
The auto box is extremely smooth even through full power shifts from 1st to 2nd. The paddles are effective for hard driving although the change time is slightly longer than you'd get from a proper DSG box or Ferrari's system. Very nice down changes too.
The ride is on the firm side but never crashy. Certainly firmer than, say an RS6, but not by that much. Feels very planted through the corners with good traction from 2nd gear upwards. The TCS will permit quite a lot of wheel spin off the line but the accelerator travel is very progressive so you don't find yourself doing burnouts accidentally like you might in some other supercars. Most of the controls are on the extremely heavy side - the steering is comparable with some non-assisted cars I've driven. The brake pedal feel is similar to the RS although I didn't try a full on emergency stop.
Interior quality is amazing, excellent detailing, top notch materials and fairly spacious. The exterior looks so much better in the flesh, parked next to normal vehicles than you'd ever believe. Looks much lower than the photos suggest and a lot more agressive in its stance.
For raw driving thrills I don't think it is far in front of the RS although the AMV8 will do that job. It's more of a GT car. In low speed corners you can feel the weight of the car, but it cruises comfortably at 120 and you sense that it would be hugely stable through high speed corners.
On the road the car literally stops people in their tracks. Pedestrians literally stop dead with their jaws hanging open and NOTHING pulls into a roundabout in front of you, even if there is a huge gap. It's impossible to wipe off the rediculous grin it puts on your face.
Would I part with £103k for one? To be honest I'd look very closely at more driver oriented cars (i.e. Ferrari 430), but for an all-rounder it's hard to beat. That is if you've got 100 big ones going spare.
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