Audi R8 review

Although it was firmly established in the upper echelons of European car manufacturers by the time the Audi R8 arrived in 2007, this low-slung sports car was still such a departure from Audi’s usual fare that it came as something as a surprise. It was a “spaceship” landing in the brand's lineup, in Audi’s own words.

Over a decade on, the R8 has demonstrated its sticking power and the latest version is a formidable rival to the McLaren 570S, Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911 while serving as indisputable flagship of Audi’s luxury lineup.

Launched as a serious sports car, with a V8 engine and manual gearbox, the R8 has matured into a genuine supercar. Sitting at the centre of every current generation of R8, lies a vast 5.2-litre V10 engine that comes in three power outputs: 533bhp in the entry-level rear-wheel V10 RWD drive model, 562bhp in the V10 Quattro, and an eye-watering 611bhp in the aptly named Performance Quattro. 

That’s some serious firepower, but according to Audi, it shouldn’t cost the Earth to run; the V10 uses cylinder-deactivation technology that can shut down half of the engine’s cylinders at a cruise to reduce fuel consumption. Oh, and did we mention it has a useful boot up front and luggage space behind the rear seats? It all sounds very sensible, doesn’t it?

But is this enough to make it the pick of a talented bunch? Read our review to find out. And whichever car you settle on, visit our New Car Buying service to see how much we can save you on scores of makes and models, including the Audi R8.