Audi chased a specific niche on the market: the luxury supercar.
Vehicles that offered a good balance between comfort and performance. And when it achieved that with the R8, it chopped the roof off and made it a roadster.

Most of the road performance vehicles are supercars. Those are nice to drive from time to time, but hard to use on a daily drive. The other choice was a GT car, which could provide plenty of comfort and luxury and good performance. The R8 slotted in between those two. It wasn’t that slow as a GT and not as uncomfortable as a regular supercar. Since the Volkswagen Group already had GT vehicles from Bentley and supercars from Lamborghini, the Audi had to fill the gap between them.

The open-top R8 received an update in 2018. It featured the same design up to the A-pillars with a low profile and short front hood that could be used for some small items. The roof could have been retracted by pressing the key-fob unlock button twice and holding it down. Another 20 seconds and the roof folded down behind the cabin.

Inside, most of the buttons and levers were carried over from other Audi models. Even the rotary control command for the MMI infotainment unit was from the other models. But the R8 Spyder didn’t feature an infotainment screen on the center stack. It was only shown to the driver in the Audi Virtual Cockpit.

Under the hood, there was the same V10 5.2-liter Lamborghini engine. It was available in two power outputs. Both mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic gearbox. As usual, the R8 was offered only with the all-wheel-drive quattro system.

The Audi R8 looked stunning in 2006 when it appeared on the market.
The second-generation kept what was good on its predecessor, and added more features. It was more pleasant.

The second generation of the R8 was offered with a lighter version, named V10 Plus. It was a car fit for those who were on the market for an everyday supercar. Some parts from the standard V10 model were replaced and exchanged with carbon-fiber elements, which were lighter. For the open-top version, named Spyder, the R8 also featured the Plus version.

What is more attractive than an everyday supercar? An everyday roadster supercar. And Audi R8 Spyder V10 Plus was exactly on the niche market for that type of client. Those who were enjoying driving with the top down and a full blast of fresh air. The front side of the R8 Spyder Plus featured the same grille and side-intakes to cool the big brake kit. On the sides, the sculptured doors and panels were made to allow more air to run into the engine’s radiators. In the back, a fixed-wing was installed behind the engine hood, which was in the mid-rear part of the car.

Inside, there was the same cramped two-seat model, but with enhanced sport-bucket seats. A full-digital instrument cluster named Audi Virtual Cockpit was installed in the instrument cluster. Another infotainment unit was mounted on the center stack.

The V10 engine offered 610 hp screaming at up to 8700 rpm is a carry-over from Lamborghini, with which the R8 shared its platform. But the Audi wants to be more civilized, more able to tackle normal daily driving conditions. And that is why it can cut down to 5 cylinders to save fuel.

Audi introduced the Spyder version of the R8 Performance RWD in the summer of 2021 and continued the idea of offering a lighter, more affordable version of its supercar.
In 2018, the German carmaker tested the market with the R8 RWS (Rear Wheel Series) version that sent the power only to the rear wheels, removing the famous quattro all-wheel drive system. The customers reacted well, and the sales figures increased. So, the four-rings brand continued the saga of RWD cars.

In 2021, the carmaker introduced the R8 Performance RWD Spyder as an open-top vehicle that sat on an upgraded drivetrain, similar to the one installed on the coupe version. Like its stablemate, the Performance RWD Spyder received a few exterior upgrades. Overall, its bumper was the same, but there were a few details different, such as the mate-black singleframe grille, while on the sides, its air intakes from the rear quarter panels received a body-colored treatment. Last but not least, the RWD Performance version received a specific set of light-alloy wheels of 19” at the front and 20” at the rear to lower the unsprung masses.

In the cockpit, a large, sharply contoured arch ran around the driver’s area, creating a “monoposto,” racing atmosphere. In front of the driver, a 12.3-inch display was filled the floating-design instrument cluster. Unlike the rest of the R8 range, the Performance version offered a steering wheel with four control satellites to control the Audi drive select, the start-button, to activate the performance mode, and control the Audi virtual cockpit screen respectively.

Since it was a performance-oriented supercar, it received a new powerplant enhanced by 30 hp when compared to the rest of the range from the same 5.7-liter V10. It was paired as standard with a seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox.

A new Audi R8 Spyder came 6 years after the previous model had been released, bringing the same thrills as the standard coupe model but with the extra wind in your hair.
Design wise, it’s the same as the 2016 R8 V10, wearing the same angular look from bumper to bumper. The only difference is found waistline up, where a new electrically-operated cloth top can be found. Extensive use of lightweight materials give the R8 Spyder a dry weight of 1,612 kg (3,554 lb), which means that 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is done in only 3.6 seconds, very close to the 3.5 s the standard coupe can do.

Audi installed the Quattro all-wheel-drive system on the R8, and then, in 2017, it transformed the supercar into a roadster and made it RWD only.
There were a few advantages for a rear-wheel-drive supercar when compared to an all-wheel-drive one. First of all, it didn’t have a front or center differential, nor drive-shafts needed to send power to the front wheels. Thus, it resulted in a decreased weight. Audi thought that a rear-wheel-drive R8 Spyder would attract even more than the regular all-wheel-drive version. So, in 2017, it introduced the RWS (Rear Wheel Series) model.

The R8 Spyder RWS was the least expensive open-top R8 from its times since the customers didn’t have to pay for the front and center differentials. Its bodywork was similar to the regular Spyder, but with a few small different details. It was underscored by the matte black grille of the singleframe and the matte black air openings at the car’s front and rear.

Inside, the R8 Spyder RWS sported the same interior as the rest of the mid-engined Audi supercar, with sports seats fitted as standard. As an option, the carmaker offered bucket seats. Unlike any of its siblings, it featured a badge on the dashboard that stated the car number, such as “1 of 999,” including the coupe versions. The infotainment showed all the information inside the instrument cluster on the Audi Virtual Cockpit TFT display.

Behind the two-seat cabin, Audi installed the naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 engine that produced 540 hp. It was paired to a seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox. The electronic stability control featured a special drift function.

Chopping a roof down from a V10 supercar might be a bad idea if the driver wants to take the car to the track.
But if the roadster will roll only on public roads, it might be a better idea than a coupe.

Audi dared to launch the R8 supercar. It went straight into competition with the Porsche 911 Cabriolet and even with the sister-company Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder (which had the same V10 under the hood). The V10 roadster came in 2010 and it offered as much performance as a premium roadster could offer without spoiling the luxury.

From the outside, the R8 Spyder was similar to the coupe version up to the windshield. The A-pillars were thicker in the roadster version since they were used as security arches as well. On the rear side of the car, on the engine hood, there was a power wing that was deployed manually or automatically. The rooftop could have been opened or closed at speeds up to 50 kph (31.07 mph) and it took 19 seconds for the complete conversion.

Inside, the R8 Spyder featured the same cockpit as the R8 coupe, but with small differences. Behind the seats, unlike the R8 Coupe, the Spyder didn’t offer any storage area.

Under the hood, the R8 V10 Spyder featured a 5.2-liter engine developed by Lamborghini. It was naturally aspirated and featured direct gasoline injection. The power went to all four wheels via a 6-speed manual fitted as standard or an optional 7-speed S-Tronic (dual-clutch) gearbox. The convertible was 216 kg (476.2 lbs) heavier than the coupe version.

What’s the best looking German convertible you can buy instead of a Porsche 911 Cabrio? Probably the R8 Spyder, which in 2010 came out with its very own basic model equipped with a 4.2-liter V8 FSI engine, hot on the heels of the bigger V10 model. With this car, you only get 430 hp from an engine derived from the on in an RS4, but it’s still enough to go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds. Perhaps you won’t have the power needed to race a supercar, but you won’t have to pay supercar money either. And let’s not forget that mid-mounted engine is hand built and growls all the way to about 8,000rpm.