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When you drive the 2008 Audi R8, you rarely drive alone: Everyone wants a ride.

And why wouldn’t they? The two-seater mid-engine supercar looks like no other. Sleek and curvy, the R8 looks like a car from 2020. You’re half expecting it to run on a flux capacitor.

I first had the chance to drive the R8 last year, when Audi let me take the German spec. model for a spin. It was love at first shift.

A few weeks ago, Audi brought me the American version of the R8 and asked if I wanted to give it a test drive. Of course, I said yes. I figured it would be just as much fun but with Fahrenheit temperatures and a speedometer than would translate 200 kph into 120 mph.

After all, the $115,000 supercar still had Audi’s 4.2-liter FSI V-8: A beautiful piece of machinery that delivers 420 horses. The surefooted all-wheel drive, known at Audi as Quattro, the lightweight aluminum construction, and the sumptuous leather interior all combined to make a nearly perfect vehicle. It’s one of the few cars I found myself thinking, “Wow, at just over $100,000, this is a good deal.”

So I was happy to take the R8 off of Audi’s hands, as well as give the long queue of people waiting for rides a quick trip around the block.

When you have a passenger in the R8, you feel compelled to show them the car’s capabilities. The gut-grabbing launch from a stop light, the ability to make 90-degree turns at 35 mph, all the while listening to the rumbling purr of the V-8 mounted behind you. Passengers laugh and squeal when they’re riding in the R8 and then become self-conscious as they notice every passer by gawking at them.

Out of the hundreds of cars I’ve test driven, no vehicle turns more heads than the R8.

Every person who sat in the R8 loved it — except me.

The first model I drove came with Audi’s six-speed manual transmission. A silky smooth gearbox that lets you click through the gears and feel the V-8’s high revving power. The newer automatic R8 that is also coming to America had a six-speed automatic transmission that left me longing for the stick shifter.

Launches came with a slight delay between tipping in the accelerator and the R8 blasting off. A brief lurch between shifts was noticeable and even when I changed gears with the paddle shifters or gear shifter, I found myself cursing under my breath. That’s never a good sign.

This vehicle is the ultimate achievement in German engineering and mechanical art. Why would anyone connect its high-revving heart to such a clumsy R tronic transmission instead of Volkswagen’s much better DSG transmission?

Audi, recognizing America’s desire to never shift, readily admits the automatic R8 may disappoint enthusiasts who are looking for the ultimate driving experience. But they also want to offer a vehicle every American can drive.

Audi, obviously, knows that just because an American has $100,000 to spend on a car doesn’t mean they know how to drive a stick. In a way, it’s refreshing to see someone sticking up for single-footed drivers who want a supercar worthy of their super income.

Personally, I’d suggest pocketing the additional $9,000 the automatic transmission costs on the R8, buy a used Ford Focus with a manual, take a few months to burn through the clutch and then hop into a manual R8.

But if you just don’t ever want to shift, and you can live with the poor shift points, the R8 is still an impressive machine.

The exterior is nearly perfect. It’s eloquent, sophisticated and muscular. Audi has been building beautiful fenders for years and continues to draw them just right. The front end sweeps around like the tip of a surf board and the fenders push out. If you looked at the R8 from the top, it almost creates a figure eight. The front end is menacing and the headlights could be sold as glass sculptures.

The car’s backside is just as mean looking. And the glass over the engine allows every person a chance to admire the car’s powerplant when it’s parked.

Inside, the R8 is posh and well-appointed. Sometimes supercars are almost disappointing when you sit inside. You’ve built up this image of how great it must be by looking at the exterior, so when you finally open the door, it’s impossible for the interior to match your expectations.

But the R8 delivers. The space is open and the appointments are splendid. Anyone considering this car should certainly include the $5,115 enhanced leather package, which provides leather on the dash, over the instrument panel, seats and doors. It looks like a handcrafted piece of furniture.

The only gripe I have returns to the transmission. When using the stick shifter, my hand would often rest on the center console. More than once I would inadvertently activate the car’s hazard lights or turn off the car’s electronic stability control. It was an annoyance I adjusted to by using the paddle shifters instead.

Even with the automatic, the car’s performance is incredible. Its ride is comfortable, even around Detroit’s less-than- perfect roadways, and it possesses more ability than any driver buying it at an Audi dealership. It’s a supercar that could be a daily driver.

Really, it’s super all the way around.

But if I was going to drive it every day, I would save a few grand and buy the manual.

It’s just more fun.

2008 Audi R8

MSRP: Manual: $115,600, automatic: $124,600

Type: All-wheel drive coupe.

Engine: 4.2-liter V-8

Power: 420-horsepower; 317 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Six-speed manual or automatic

EPA mileage: 13 mpg city / 18 mpg highway

Pros: Beautiful machine with incredible capabilities.

Cons: The automatic transmission

Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at sburgess@detnews.com.