A chapter of Audi Sport closed at the end of 2023 when the last R8 rolled off the assembly line, marking an end to this interesting phase in the German’s history.
The R8 was the brand’s first foray into the world of top flight sportscars, a car to take on the fastest 911 models and get entry-level Ferrari and Lamborghini buyers thinking about visiting the Audi showroom.
It was pitched as a usable sports model too, something one could drive every day if one’s lifestyle allowed.
While that character remained over its two generations, it morphed into a more performance-orientated model with the introduction of larger, more powerful engines.
The design of the R8 might not have been unanimously received when it first rolled onto the scene. We were present at the international launch in Las Vegas, and the assembled Italian media couldn’t understand the logic of the side blade.
They reckoned it ruined the look – a hairy mole they called it – but it did give the car a distinctive side profile. The stylised air intake was described as a dividing line between the passenger cell and the V8, drawing attention to the R8’s mid-engine layout.
Not having seen the big Audi grille on such a svelte form previously was also arresting, and yet some 17 years later, the sight of the R8 still gets youngsters recording your progress down the main street.
The prominent wheel arches were there to emphasise the four-wheel drive layout while the LED lights, unique at the time, form a frown on its gaze.
With a flat underbody, complete with aero devices, it went without the need for a big wing with just a small retractable flap at the rear to help steady things at speed.
Putting the spin on the shared platform with Lamborghini, Audi said the R8’s mid-engine layout was a homage to the Auto Unions of the 1930s, while the brand was already synonymous with all-wheel drive.
The R8 used a development of the aluminium chassis from the Lamborghini Gallardo, but had a longer wheelbase and with its increased overall height, the R8 had a roomier cabin than its Italian counterpart.
Large doors made it easier to get into as well, as long as you weren’t in a tight spot.
Initially it was available only with a 4.2-litre V8, the engine on display under a glass cover. This mill was borrowed from the RS 4, and was largely unchanged apart from the adoption of dry sump lubrication, allowing it to sit lower.
Outputs amounted to 309kW and 430Nm at 5500rpm, the same as the four-door RS 4. The Quattro drive line, with its viscous centre coupling, could allocate between 10 and 35 per cent of the torque to the front diff, giving the R8 a rear drive bias.
Alongside a six-speed manual, the R-tronic provided the two-pedal solution, a single-clutch automated manual that could swap cogs in 55 milliseconds, along with a launch control setting.
It commanded a premium at the time, adding $12k to the list price of $260,000. More than 80 per cent of NZ sold R8’s would opt for this box initially, a poor investment really given the average nature of the R-tronic’s overall character, and ongoing service costs associated with fried clutch packs.
And now, the manual cars are more sought after and sell at a premium. The V8 coupe was said to weigh in at 1565kg though the NZ spec car we measured was a bit heavier at 1636kg, the weight split 46/54, front to rear.
These two R8s are both early examples of their respective generations, both owned by a local motoring enthusiast. The R8 first arrived in NZ in 2007, while the more powerful 5.2-litre V10 came along in 2009, initially with 386kW and 530Nm. The Spyder, sans the roof and sideblade, aired in 2010.
The ultimate first gen R8 is the GT, lighter overall and with a more powerful V10 making 412kW and 540Nm. There was however the R8 Competition produced exclusively for the US market with a slightly more powerful V10 and the introduction of a twin-clutch trans.
The second generation dropped in 2015 using a development of the new chassis shared with the Lamborghini Huracan. There was no V8 option this time and no manual either. The standard R8 made 397kW while the Plus gave 449kW along with 560Nm, which took the 0-100km/h time down to 3.2sec.
The styling progression can be seen between the two cars here, the most notable elements being the pointier front end and the side blade having been split in two. That still makes it a feature but it’s not as polarising. The cabin looks far more modern with its digital instrument panel and neater controls.
The R8 4.2 starts up without fanfare, the aural signs you’re in the presence of a bent eight clear but not boastful and it quickly settles into a polite idle.
Then the V10 starts up, an eruption of combustion clamour that drowns all else out until its cold start up phase is done. But even then it’s hard to converse casually next to it.
And that sums up the evolution of the model from an intended Audi 911, an everyday sort of sports car to the alternate supercar, every bit as raucous as its Lamborghini cousin.
We noted when we drove it in New Zealand for the first time in 2007 that “while the V8 has a decent specific output, for all-out, fill-your-strides power, we’d had better”.
And after nearly two decades of enjoying ever increasing pace in turbocharged sportscars, the R8 4.2 does seem a bit tepid now. But outright speed wasn’t its thing anyway. While we managed to wring a 4.40sec 0-100km/h time from it when new, its 80-120 time of 3.06sec isn’t overly quick.
Nor is it quite loud enough, the V8 subdued from the driver’s seat, but it still apparently sounds good to bystanders. The response from the 4.2 is still crisp, you just need to massage it along to get the goods.
It needs at least 4000rpm dialed in to get going. But it’s a happy spinner as it winds out to just past 8000rpm.
You really need to work that gearbox over, and the gated six-speed still provides one of the best shifts ever offered, especially with its click-clack action as it slots its way neatly into each ratio.
With just over 45,000km showing, this car still feels good, robust in a modern classic way. There are few things to change up in a drive sense, just the dampers with a Sport mode, adding firmness to negate roll in bends.
The steering is not uber quick like most racks are now at 2.75 turns, but it’s still a good helm and free from kick back.
Re-readng our report from 2007, it seems we had a blast in this, stepping back the ESP to let the tail shuffle sideways when exiting a tight corner. As we reported; “it’s a driver’s car that can make it really easy but also entertain when you want it to.”
And that’s still the vibe it delivers. For those who think it’s not quick enough, it’s a car that has the chassis-to-power balance nicely sorted.
That it’s not rapidly quick but still entertaining is a boon on roads that now carry both more speed restrictions and traffic.
The R8 still has a way to go to reach classic status both in terms of years and in commanding a higher price than when new.
While it went for $260k plus back then, a similarly immaculate 4.2 manual model is on sale at present (with a similar 42,000km) for $125,000. And highlighting the manual’s allure, the R-tronics are in the $80-$90k range.
The R8 wasn’t made in huge numbers; production peaked in 2008 with just over 5600 made but for much of its life span Audi turned out around two or three thousand examples per year.
In 2009 an R8-based e-tron concept was shown. We can’t remember how we reacted to the figures at the time but they don’t make great reading nowadays; 233kW, 450Nm and a range of 250km from the 42kWh battery that took two and half hours to fast charge.
This electric concept came to nothing, though Audi did roll out another e-tron R8 in 2015 with more convincing figures.
These point to the next R8, heavily tipped to be an all-electric sportscar, likely sharing bits and pieces with the upcoming Porsche Cayman replacement.
If that does come to pass, hopefully it has slightly more exciting figures than the concept.
This story first appeared in the February 2024 issue of NZ Autocar magazine.
