Audi R8 Spider Review - the last V10!

It’s time for Mat to say goodbye to his Audi R8 Spyder!

He’s been running this drop-top supercar for almost 9 months now, but sadly, the time has come for it to go back to Audi.

The list of daily drivers that Mat has run in the past is absolutely incredible. From a Porsche 911 & BMW M5 CS through to an Audi RS6 & AMG G63, it’s a list of cars that needs no introduction whatsoever. The question is, can the R8 compare with these supreme machines?

Well, in this video, Mat will run through all the good & bads he’s uncovered with this car. From how incredible the glorious 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 is, through to tiny details like the lack of ISOFIX points, he’ll cover everything concerning this supercar!

If you could pick his next daily driver, what would you choose? Let us know in the comments!

[Gedalneil]

I’ve owned a V10 Plus for three years. You didn’t XPEL (ppf) protect, you aren’t putting premium fuel in, and you are under valuing an average of 17MPG on a V10. You should launch in sport, not performance. Performance mode takes traction control off. The carbon ceramics grind at slow speeds. If you clean it, the surface needs to be properly lubricated or you will scratch it. Most of your complaints are your errors (respectfully). I replaced my paddles with carbon fiber ones, but agree with the plastic paddles. The reverse camera is garbage, agree. You are putting S class expectations on an entry level super car. Love your spec (mine is Nardo). I wish you’d actually read this.

[Vuxchen]

These cheap shiftpaddels confuse me. Audi has original full aluminium paddels in the RS6 and RS7 part number is 4K0951523F and i retrofitted them into my 2.0 tdi a4 :D And they would just work plug and play in the R8...

[daritter]

youve launched the car in manual mode every race, then it forced itself to shift, unlike the launches that worked the dash said M1S which means the gearbox is in sport, in the launches that have bugged you it was in M1(you need to shift the car) and then when you redlined it the gearbox shifted itself to M2S

[soulasssassin]

So, in short, you don't R8 this car very high?


🥁

[houserhythm]

That low rumble is what I always loved in the old 6.2L NA AMGs.
Ever since I was a kid I liked that kind of sound way more than the high revving, high-pitched Ferarri kind of sound.

[MPKING-yw]

Your audi R8 was my faveroute of your daily drivers oh i loved it but the only problem was the soft limiter ❤

[RFKL]

The magnetic paddles I installed on mine are so satisfying… and only cost £100.

[PalpatinesPlumber]

Haven't thought of this before, but this video made me think how much the different octane fuel impacts the drag races. Especially in turbocharged cars, that can make quite a difference.

[goatmonkey]

Loses a race to a Lamborghini, badly. Two weeks later...

[anony-mousex]

7:55 well Matt maybe if you put the 'good stuff' in when you fill up it might actually perform up to spec when launching!

[MDavzn]

Wonder where that scratch came from, 7:07 maybe something to do with just wiping the dirt off to stick a GoPro on it😂

[kofiaddo-ockt]

Mat's impression on how the R8 launches is top notch😂😂

[bigphilswheels]

My Golf convertible does the same heater trick. When you lower the roof, it remembers the last heater settings you had with it down, hot or cold! Brilliant. 👍👍

[Car_dude]

(1st) nice audi r8 sadly it got out of production but I did see 3 in my 10 years of car spotting (2008, 2020, and another 2020)

[DARam]

The R8 is such a special thing. Perfect combination of understated design with an absolute gem of an engine. It'll be sorely missed.

As for a new daily driver, if it's another convertible, probably either a Mercedes-AMG SL 63 or an Aston Martin DB12 Volante.

[jonathan]

Mat expects us to believe that he pays for his own petrol 😂

[iantownsend]

Mat you chose the best spec for that R8

[juan-carlosfrancois]

You're Mat Watson and I'm watching Carwow 😂🔥

[cbotten]

The click of those GT3 paddle shifters seemed quite, er, very gratifying. And I absolutely love that green, but many do not.

[lastword]

I’ve had a Gen 2 for 7yrs and it’s been a perfect car. Didn’t kerb mine either, hard to see how that could be dragged into a negative about the car