Audi 2008 Annual Report Download - page 18

14
Vorsprung Devotion
01
concentrates on shooting out of the pit row onto the track,
his facial expressions and body language changing for an
instant. Tomczyk will later say that in terms of concentra-
tion there isn’t much of a difference between sitting behind
the wheel of the real car or in front of the PlayStation 3.
Admittedly, the PS3 doesn’t offer quite the same white-
knuckle experience, but even so, you realize that Tomczyk
is entering the zone, isolating himself from outside influ-
ences. Everyone around him notices as well: While Tomczyk
is driving, no one utters a word.
If you’ve never tried out another PS3 racing simulation
before, you won’t believe your eyes and ears when you get
behind the virtual wheel of the R8. The game is so realistic
that you are sucked into and swallowed up by the simu-
lated world within seconds. The shift from reality to illu-
sion is so seamless, that it is hard to describe what is hap-
pening to you. After all, it isn’t exactly easy for the average
driver to maintain the line in a supercar if they are a little
heavy on the gas while flying into a Nordschleife corner.
Despite the fact that it’s all taking place on a computer,
braking, hitting the guard rail and spinning out still leaves
you a bit dizzy. Or truth be told: very dizzy.
“It is all very realistic,” says Martin Tomczyk, “the under-
steer, the oversteer; the increasing computing power
works miracles.” Even though the steering wheel also pulls
and bucks, you don’t really “experience” the reactions of
the vehicle. “However, the excellent visuals almost com-
pletely conceal that.” And if you didn’t already know that
the virtual R8 is less sensitive than its real counterpart, you