Here’s What Happened When Someone Drove An Audi R8 Supercar To The Arctic Circle

Since the low-flying Audi R8 made its debut in the 2007 model year, the German export has been heralded as one of the most reliable, livable exotics on the market. With subtle, hip-high styling and either a V8 or a V10 behind the driver, the R8 cut a path somewhat akin to the Nissan GT-R as an under-the-radar antidote to Italian excess.

I caught wind of an intrepid attempt to put that “most reliable” claim to the ultimate test on Facebook. How ultimate are we talking? Try ten thousand miles — many of them barren, unforgiving, and Arctic. Meet Mitchell Kohrmann, a 33-year-old tattoo artist from Ohio, who bought a 2010 Audi R8 in less-than-ideal shape in early May. A Euro-spec example initially sold in Panama, the R8 received subsequent flood damage in Hurricane Ian before moving on to a YouTuber who gave the Audi a beating. Kohrmann picked up the car one owner later for $40,000.

[Ed Note: Say hi to Tyler Roland, a recent college-grad, music journalist, and former Nissan S-Cargo owner. He reached out to see if he could write a few things for us, and he seems like a nice guy, so let’s see! He’s also go a short article written about “Primus’ Les Claypool,” whatever that is. So expect that this upcoming weekend. -DT]. 

The man has a penchant for buying vehicles that are a little under the weather, and he’s had “50 or more” throughout his life, including “Gallardos, Lotuses, Testarossas, and 3000GT VR-4s.” He set to work refurbishing the R8, which he says looked “like it was modified by a 14-year-old.” Out with the wrap and window tint, in with various mechanical upgrades. Pre-Arctic investments ended up totaling around $2,000. You can check out the documentation of the effort on his YouTube channel:

With the Audi now in shipshape, Kohrmann set his sights north. He avoided any notion of giving his new baby a royal treatment of any kind, plotting a significant portion of his journey on the Dalton Highwa, a 414-mile gravel road. Only around 25 per cent boasts supplemental pavement.

Of course, one has to wonder how visions of the last frontier and Audi’s supercar came together in Kohrmann’s mind. “The R8 is [the most exciting car] I could still trust to make the journey,” he says. “I figured if I made the journey in a 4Runner or something, it wouldn’t be as memorable or ambitious.”

While the R8 may not send pupils into overdrive like a Skittles-colored Lambo, it’s not like Kohrmann took his wheels to car-studded L.A., where you’re bound to see something flashy every day. As he drove farther and farther north, his car became more of a UFO.

“It seemed like the further north I got, the [bigger] reaction[s] I got,” Kohrmann recalls, comparing the far-flung points of interest he visited to his native Columbus. “That area of the world is rather rugged, and some of the people are, too. It seems like every person I passed up there just had a massive grin on their face. There were more car people in Alaska than I expected, and I had quite a few people chase me down.

“I heard from a lot of people that the R8 is their dream car, yet they’ve never seen one. I ended up giving out a few rides, and I’m sure it made their day.”

The Dalton Highway, in Kohrmann’s words, “is commonly thought about as only passable by a truck with 4WD.” You can imagine, then, the challenge of wrestling a vehicle like Audi’s Ferrari-beater up the dirt. Entering the Arctic felt surreal to our hero.

“When I reached the Arctic Circle, I was […] in shock. The highway ended up being MUCH more treacherous than I expected, so by that stage of the drive, I honestly just couldn’t believe the car made it.”

The pictures Kohrmann took depict the R8 as a champion, but going from Ohio to the Arctic and back presented its challenges. He experienced a breakdown on the return leg, and I asked him how much morale became shattered as a result.

“I drove the first 200 miles [of the Dalton] to get to the [Arctic Circle] and back. Along that route there is one gas station, and it’s the only sign of humans on that entire stretch. Nothing else — not a shack, powerlines, anything. And there’s no [cell phone] service for hundreds of miles.”

Before the trip, Kohrmann envisioned possible tire or suspension failure, due to the rough nature of the Dalton. His undoing, though, proved to be neither. As Kohrmann so eloquently puts it, “a rogue rock” halted his journey.

“As I was heading back down, a few miles after I passed the Yukon River, a large rock hit my front wheel, rattled under the car, and ended up smacking my water pump. Almost immediately, I smelled coolant and the dash lit up. I brought a spare tire, and tons of tools and extra parts, but that was not one I expected to need.

[Ed Note: Would this have lasted had it been made of cast aluminum like the wrenching gods intended? I’d say…there’s a good chance. -DT]. 

I panicked for a minute, and then just laughed. My first thought was ‘this will be a great story: breaking down in an R8, in the middle of the Arctic, on the USAs most dangerous road.’”

Any writer will tell you that a worthy plot needs a nadir. But how did Kohrmann end up recovering?

“I ended up just coasting miles down the mountain, and was able to make it all the way back to the single gas station on the entire road without any power. It was a great spot to hit that rock; anywhere else, and I would have been in a lot of trouble.”

As you’d imagine, the aftermath of the water pump damage marked Kohrmann’s lowest point of his trip.

“I then had to wait 8 hours for a tow – for $1,700, as only one company is willing to travel that road, so they have the ability to charge whatever they like. I ended up overnighting the part, which I’m shocked I found.

“[The worst part was] the four-hour tow truck ride back to Fairbanks, sandwiched in between two guys that barely spoke the whole time. Super awkward.”

As for the apex? “Either the moment I realized I was going to be able to fix the car, or the last 30 minutes to the Arctic Circle, as I really didn’t expect to make it.”

Check out breathtaking shots like the one below, and tell me you wouldn’t suffer a four-hour tow in silence for memories like these.

With Kohrmann back in the lower 48, I wanted to know how he felt after putting the R8 through its paces, given that his stable of cars puts most of ours to shame. As it turns out, this R8 is Kohrmann’s second.

“When I owned my first one, I liked it but didn’t love it. The R8 was such a good car [that] it didn’t scratch that itch for a weird, special, crazy car. Weird to think a car was too good, right? I tend to like cars more when they make less sense, the weirder the better.”

Sounds like the Autopian way of thinking. Anyways, moving on:

“I have other odd and quirky cars…so now that I have that taken care of, the R8 is absolutely perfect to add in. I don’t know how much sense that makes, but that’s just me. I actually think the V8 is the best engine for the R8 chassis, and I also have an S8 V10, so I’m not upset about not having one in my R8.”

As our conversation wrapped up, I had to inquire about his choice of chilly destination. Was it sheer ambition, or something deeper?

“I’ve ALWAYS wanted to drive the Dalton, along with just the sheer absurdity of it. I’m a mountain guy over a beach guy any day!”

When I found the story of Kohrmann’s far-flung drive thanks to this Facebook post he made, I felt a sense of secondhand pride as a car enthusiast who loves seeing a rare ride on the road, as opposed to sitting idle in a showroom.

Many folks seem to share my excitement. One commenter, Elliot Hart, shared a photo of Kohrmann’s R8 cruising down the gravel, a mirage-like sight to him and anyone else on the Dalton.

Others posted images of similar attempts of using their (ostensible) toys to the fullest. Like Cédrick Bernetchez, who shared this image of his GT-R.

All of the comments seemed to echo Kohrmann’s joy at taking his low-profile tires to the ragged edge. “Love to see a supercar that’s been driven,” Allen La wrote. “You are a king!” David Lane commented, with this photo of his Aston Martin. 

A collective joy has been disseminated among everyone who has heard this incredible tale, including me. The mix of humor and admiration we feel when we see Kohrmann’s R8 at the top of the world is the same we felt as children, ripping our Hot Wheels and Matchboxes through the sandbox, imagining the day we got to drive.