The R8 represents the road-going distillation of Audi’s storied motorsports history. The most powerful production model in the company’s history, the R8 is a true supercar, with all the extraordinary performance that label implies. It is pure, visceral, and seductive yet, it can function daily in the real world without just being limited to Nurburgring fantasies on sparse weekend escapes.
Redesigned for 2017, the R8 comes in two basic configurations: R8 V10 and R8 V10 Plus. Each boasts a mid-mounted 5.2-liter V10 engine, with power routed to all four corners. At about $165,000, the base model packs 540 hp and 398 lb.-ft. of torque, good for a claimed 0-60 mph blast in 3.5 seconds. The Plus starts at about $193,000, and it brings 610 hp and 413 lb.-ft. of torque to the party. For obvious reasons, the R8 isn’t a car CR would buy and formally test but to get more than a feel for it we borrowed from Audi for a fee. Naturally, it was the R8 Plus.
The automaker claims this version runs 0-60 mph in a scant 3.2 seconds. Based on our thrill rides, that claim is believable but at this stratosphere, it’s almost besides the point. The normally aspirated power on tap from this aluminum engine is pure, abundant, and linear—a rarity these days with so many turbocharged rivals. The thrust is immediate, smooth, and ultimately addicting. There are no power peaks or valleys. It feels like limitless power can be harnessed from a standstill all the way to felonious speeds.