Audi R8 Spyder (2017-2024) Review

The R8 Spyder always felt like the version of the R8 that best captured what the whole car was about. The coupe is the tidier and slightly more focused machine, but the Spyder is the one that lets you experience the great centrepiece of the car properly – with the fabric roof lowered, the naturally aspirated V10 becomes the star of the whole experience.

The R8 Spyder was never just about outright numbers, it was about giving buyers supercar pace and proper exotic appeal in a car that still behaved with the polish and everyday friendliness of an Audi. The controls are sensible, the cabin quality is excellent and the visibility is far better than you might expect from something with this sort of performance.

It also stands apart from many rivals because it doesn't ask you to put up with endless compromise in return for the badge and the soundtrack. Yes, it's heavy, yes, some alternatives are more thrilling right at the limit, and yes, luggage space is practically theoretical. But as a supercar you can actually imagine using regularly, it remains one of the strongest cars of its type.

That matters even more now. Audi no longer builds new R8 Spyder models for the UK and the car has moved into heritage status rather than simply becoming an older member of a live range. There's also no direct successor in Audi’s current line-up. That leaves this final R8 Spyder to stand on its own merits as a used supercar, which suits it rather well. It still feels like something genuinely special: immensely fast, richly engineered and all the more memorable because the V10 is now such a rare kind of engine.

For most used buyers, the dream option is the post-2019 R8 Spyder V10 Performance (if budget stretches that far), because it gives you the sharper-looking 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 Spyder’s all-round supercar brief.

Used Audi R8 Spyder prices now start from around £80,000 for earlier 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 Cabriolet is the obvious alternative if you want something more precise and more involving at speed, while the McLaren 570S Spider is the one to look at if ultimate sharpness and drama matter most.

The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster offers a very different front-engined take on the same sort of money, while the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder inevitably sits close by in spirit because of its shared V10 relationship. The Audi’s strength is that it feels like the easiest and most natural of the lot to use regularly.

This is not a practical car in any traditional sense, but the R8 Spyder is still easier to live with than many open-top supercars. Up front there's enough room for two adults to get comfortable, and the driving position is excellent.

The big compromise comes with luggage. The front boot is just 112 litres, which is enough for a couple of soft bags at best, and unlike the coupe there's no useful rear shelf behind the seats for extra odds and ends.

Even so, the R8 Spyder doesn't make ordinary use unnecessarily difficult. Visibility is good by supercar standards, the cabin is not especially cramped and the controls are straightforward. That helps make it far easier to use than some of its more temperamental rivals.

The Audi R8 Spyder measures 4,434mm long, 2,037mm wide and 1,244mm high. That gives it the stance you want from a supercar, 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 manoeuvre than you might expect.

The R8 Spyder’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 equipment improved and features such as the reversing camera and digital display became standard across the range.

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 Spyder still has one of the most solid-feeling cabins of any open-top supercar from this period.

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

The big story here is simple: the R8 Spyder’s 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 is one of the great supercar 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 Spyder 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 Spyder’s broad abilities than a more old-fashioned manual would have been at this stage of the car’s life.

The R8 Spyder’s brilliance isn’t just about speed, it's about how accessible that speed feels, and how little effort it takes to enjoy it. Around town, the controls are light enough, visibility is genuinely decent and the ride is far more forgiving than many supercar buyers will expect.

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 Spyder huge confidence and traction.

That same security is also why some drivers will still prefer a 911 Cabriolet or a 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. With the roof up, the R8 Spyder is calmer and more comfortable than many cars in this part of the market. With the roof down, you get the full reward of the V10 soundtrack, which is really the whole point of choosing this version in the first place.

Audi never submitted the R8 Spyder for testing by independent safety organisation Euro NCAP, which is not unusual in this part of the market.

It nevertheless has the expected mix of airbags, stability systems, rollover protection and a strong underlying structure, though it does miss some of the more advanced active safety systems now common in 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 roadster: 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 – expect MPG in the low 20s only if you absolutely strive for efficiecy. Mid-teens are more likely.

Use the engine properly and the R8 Spyder 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 for extra peace of mind and to avoid nasty surprises.

You won’t be too surprised to hear that insurance on this convertible powerhouse sits at the top end of the scale, and all versions live firmly in specialist-supercar territory.

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

For most Audi R8 Spyders registered on or after 1 April 2017, the standard annual VED rate is now £200, or £17.50 a month by Direct Debit.

Because the R8 Spyder’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.

A few early R8 Spyders will have been registered before April 2017, and will be subject to the older rules on tax. That’s bad news, because you’ll have to pay a fairly whopping £790 to tax one.