The Audi R8 is one of the most important supercars of the late 2000s and the 2010s. It started off as a concept in 2003 and started production in 2006 with an FSI V8. This 5.2 FSI V10 Quattro version was introduced in 2009. Mid-engined, all-wheel-drive and with a manual transmission option – the R8 was the perfect recipe for a supercar. In fact, it was so good that it stayed in production for 18 years, all the way up till 2024. It’s definitely one of the most important chapters in Audi’s history.

Exterior and Interior
While the design of the R8 isn’t as flamboyant as its competitors from Italy, it’s very distinctive in a quiet, elegant way – especially in this Phantom Black Pearl paintwork with the 19” titanium finish alloy wheels. One of the most distinctive features of the R8 are its carbon fiber sideblades. This is a part of the Carbon Fiber Sigma package which also includes carbon fiber exterior mirrors and interior inlays. One of the lesser-known details of the R8’s design, however, is that it was the first car ever to use fully LED head lamps. The interior is black (with the Enhanced Leather package) with a black Alcantara headliner, and the sport seats are heated with 10-way power adjusters. The instrument cluster includes a voltage indicator gauge in addition to the standard fuel and engine temperature gauges. The tachometer redlines well above 8000rpm, and the speedometer goes up to 220mph, while an additional digital speed indicator sits between them. It has illuminated door sill inserts and well-balanced dashboard that combines dials, buttons and a digital infotainment screen. The main star of the show, however, is the silver gated shifter for the manual transmission.

Engine
Behind the cabin sits the Lamborghini-derived 5.2-liter V10 which Audi tuned to produce 518hp and 530N.m of torque and takes the R8 all the way up to 196mph, with a 0-60 time of under 4s (factory claimed statistics). It received larger rear brakes than the V8 variant to handle the extra horsepower. The V10 paired with a 6-speed gated manual transmission to drive all 4 wheels via Audi’s famed Quattro all-wheel drive system.