Audi R8 (2015-2024) Review

By the time this second-generation R8 arrived, Audi no longer had to prove it could build a credible supercar. The first car had already done that. What this model needed to do was evolve the formula without losing the qualities that made the R8 so appealing in the first place.

That meant keeping the everyday friendliness, the superb visibility, the carefully judged ergonomics and the sense that this was still a supercar built by a company that understood ordinary road cars. It also meant turning up the drama, just by enough to make sure the car still felt special in a market full of ever more focused and flamboyant rivals.

The result was a remarkably complete machine. The second-generation R8 feels more serious, faster and more mature than the car before it, but it never becomes intimidating. The V10 is a huge part of that appeal. In an era where many fast cars moved to turbos, downsizing and electrification, the R8 doubled down on a naturally aspirated ten-cylinder engine that feels special simply because it exists.

That matters even more now. Audi no longer builds new R8 models for the UK and the car has moved into heritage status rather than simply becoming an older member of a current range. There's also no direct successor in Audi’s line-up, which leaves this final R8 to stand on its own merits as a used supercar, which suits it rather well. It still feels like something genuinely special: immensely fast, beautifully engineered and far easier to live with than most cars with this sort of performance.

For most used buyers, the sweet spot is the post-2019 R8 V10 Performance if budget stretches that far, because it gives you the sharper facelifted car, stronger standard equipment and the fullest expression of the V10 engine.

That said, a regular V10 quattro is often the smarter buy in the real world. It already has more performance than most owners will ever fully use, it keeps the all-weather security that suits the R8’s broad personality and it can feel the more rounded road car.

Rear-wheel-drive versions add a different flavour and a little more attitude, but the quattro cars remain the most natural fit for the R8’s all-round supercar brief.

Used Audi R8 prices now start from around £57,000 for early second-generation cars, while later facelifted versions, Performance models and especially low-mileage examples sit much higher.

There's enough spread in the market to be selective, which matters because options and model-year changes make a difference here. Facelifted cars are generally the ones to aim for if budget allows, but a well-kept earlier car with the right specification can still make a lot of sense.

For many buyers, the best value sits in the middle of the range rather than at either extreme.

The Porsche 911 is an obvious alternative if you want a faster-witted and more involving sports car with a slightly less exotic image, while the McLaren 570S is the one to look at if ultimate sharpness and drama matter most.

The Honda NSX offered a very different hybrid take on the supercar theme, and the Lamborghini Huracan inevitably sits close by in spirit because of its shared V10 relationship with the Audi. The R8’s strength is that it feels like the most complete and easiest to use of the lot.

This isn't a practical car in any conventional sense, but the Audi R8 is still easier to live with than many supercars. Up front, there's enough room for two adults to get comfortable, and the driving position is excellent.

There's useful storage behind the seats for soft bags and coats, which helps more than you might expect. The front boot is small at 112 litres, so you won’t be taking much luggage with you, but this was never meant to be a grand tourer.

What matters more is that the R8 doesn't make ordinary use unnecessarily difficult. Visibility is good by supercar standards, the cabin isn't cramped and the controls are straightforward. That all helps make it far easier to use than some of its more temperamental rivals.

The Audi R8 measures 4,429mm long, 2,037mm wide and 1,236mm high. That makes it low and wide in the way a supercar should be, but it's still compact enough to feel less intimidating on British roads than some alternatives.

In practice, the visibility and the way the car responds at low speed make it easier to place than you might expect.

The R8’s technology is refreshingly driver-focused. There's no large centre touchscreen dominating the dashboard. Instead, most functions are centred around Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital driver display.

That gives the cabin a cleaner and more focused feel than many rivals, and it helps the R8 avoid feeling overcomplicated. Post-2019 cars are the ones to seek out because the Virtual Cockpit became standard across the range and the steering wheel controls were improved.

Material quality is extremely strong. The leather, trim finishes, switchgear and general fit and finish all feel worthy of the price tag, and the R8 still has one of the most solid-feeling cabins of any supercar from this period.

This is one of the reasons it still works so well as a used exotic. The R8 feels built with real care, not simply assembled around the engine and the badge.

The big story here is simple: the R8’s 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 is one of the great engines of the modern era.

Early cars came in 540PS and 610PS forms, while the 2019 update lifted outputs to 570PS and 620PS for the Performance model. Rear-wheel-drive versions were added later, offering a slightly different character and a purer mechanical feel, but every R8 shares the same basic appeal: huge power, instant response and a soaring top end that no turbocharged replacement could really replicate.

The seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox suits the car well. It's quick, intuitive and far better matched to the R8’s broad abilities than a more old-fashioned manual would have been at this stage of the car’s life.

The R8’s brilliance isn't just about speed, it's about how accessible that speed feels. Around town, the controls are light enough, visibility is genuinely decent and the ride is far more forgiving than many supercar buyers will expect. For better or worse, you could almost forget you’re in a supercar.

Out on a fast road, the car feels secure, composed and immensely rapid. The V10 builds in a wonderfully linear way and the quattro system in the all-wheel-drive cars gives the R8 huge confidence and traction.

That same security is also why some drivers will still prefer a 911 or McLaren when the road gets more demanding. The Audi is devastatingly effective, but it's not always the most delicate or most talkative thing at the limit. It majors more on confidence and composure than on endless adjustability.

Refinement is strong by supercar standards. There's noise, obviously, and the V10 is never far from the foreground, but the R8 is quieter, calmer and more comfortable than many cars in this part of the market.

Audi never submitted the R8 for testing by independent safety organisation Euro NCAP, which isn't unusual in this part of the market.

It has the expected mix of airbags, stability systems and strong underlying structure, though it does miss some of the more advanced active safety systems now common in more modern ordinary performance cars. As ever, check the specification of individual used examples carefully.

Fuel economy is exactly what you would expect from a naturally aspirated V10 supercar: heavy. The official numbers are not disastrous on paper for something with this sort of performance, but real-world results will depend enormously on how you drive it. Don’t expect much in advance of 20mpg, even if you really try to keep things conservative.

Use the engine properly and the R8 will reward you with one of the great soundtracks in modern motoring, but it won’t do your wallet any favours in the process.

Any remaining manufacturer warranty will depend on the age of the car, but Audi Approved Used examples remain the most reassuring place to start.

Audi Approved Used currently includes a minimum of a one-year Audi Warranty, one year of roadside assistance and a 30-day exchange plan, which adds useful reassurance on a used high-performance Audi.

On cars like this, condition and history matter more than almost anything else. A specialist inspection and a full record of servicing and consumables are well worth prioritising.

Insurance, unsurprisingly, sits at the top end of the scale, and all versions live firmly in specialist-supercar territory.

This isn't a car that rewards casual assumptions on insurance, so it's worth getting quotes lined up properly before you commit.

For most Audi R8s registered on or after 1 April 2017, the standard annual VED rate is now £200, or £17.50 a month by Direct Debit.

However, because the R8’s original list price was well over £40,000, it also pays the Expensive Car Supplement for five years from the second licence. That takes the annual bill to £640, or £56 a month by Direct Debit during that period.

Cars registered before April 2017 are taxed using a different method, and can be even pricier – expect to pay £790 a year.