The 2018 Audi R8 comes in two flavours - the V10 RWS Coupe, the V10 Coupe, and the V10 Plus Coupe. Of this, the V10 Coupe has been segregated on the basis of their drivetrain, with the rear-wheel drive only trim being introduced as the R8 RWS. If one wants luxury and comfort, the base Coupe does the job very well with some of the features including keyless entry and ignition, heated leather seats with 14-way power adjustability, dual-zone climate control, and digital instrument cluster. Some of the other highlighting features on the trim levels are:

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The Audi R8 is a very lucrative car and as such, is recommended in every trim level. If we were to brainstorm and select one trim, we’d buy the mid-range V10 Coupe because of the considerable upgrades it adds to the RWS like AWD, adaptive dampers, and the leather upholstery. 

The 2018 Audi R8’s gem lies in its soul - a rev-happy 5.2L V10 which screams all the way up to 8,000 RPM and is rated at 540 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. This gem of an engine is further available with two drivetrain options - RWD and AWD - along with two states of tune. The lower tune sets the aforementioned output while the higher tune bumps up the power to 602 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. In any case, the engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for the smoothest shifts that there can be, both on the road and on the track. 

For the acceleration runs, the RWS can do the 60 MPH run in just 3.5 seconds with the quarter-mile coming in barely 11.6 seconds while the AWD shaves 0.3 seconds to 60 MPH and 0.2 seconds off the quarter-mile time. But when the V10 Plus is taken into account the times reduce drastically to just 2.9 seconds to 60 MPH and a quarter-mile time of just 10.9 seconds, making it the fastest road-going Audi yet. 

Both the Audi and the Lamborghini share the same platform and hence their engines are also the same, to an extent. While the Audi is tuned for 562 horsepower, the Huracan leans more towards the R8 V10 Plus’ tune with an output of 602 horsepower with which it just demolishes the competition in terms of acceleration and pace. The most surprising (or not) entry in the acceleration times is the Godzilla, with just 0.3 seconds off the Huracan’s pace in the run to 60 MPH. 

2018 Audi R8: Handling and performance

If one sets the equation correctly, the 2018 Audi R8 is a hooligan in the RWD only setup and can easily drift once all the controls are off. Once floored, the car just loses its rear-end and its just the driver and the smoke of burning rubber all around. The supercar is “super”easy to drive with the predictable engine characteristic and the superb gearbox that keeps all the power to the ground, leaving the driver with a boy-racer smile on their face. The seats are super comfortable for long drives and the leather upholstery is another feather to its cap. 

If one wants better handling, the AWD is a better option and keeps it easy for the driver to hoon around without fearing for loss of traction. The car grips very well and one can easily give more power to the front wheels to stick to the tarmac and make corner exits fun. For the people considering daily-ing the car, it is very much manageable with the adaptive dampers making the drive comfortable while the light-yet-precise steering makes it easy to maneuver through traffic. 

2018 Audi R8: Braking performance

The 2018 Audi R8 is a massively fast car which is pretty evident in its timings and as such, one will track the car once. One thing that will constantly give peace of mind is the braking capability of the German sports car which is anchored by 14.4-inch rotors at the front and 14.0-inch rotors at the rear. All the four rotors are ventilated to dissipate the heat effectively while carbon ceramics are on offer for the RWS and V10 Coupe, while it is a standard fitment on the V10 Plus Coupe. 

The Audi R8 and the Huracan share very similar rotor sizes but the heavier R8 stops on a shorter distance than the lighter Huracan. All the cars stop in very similar distances but on-sheet, the R8 leads the game and is closely followed by the Huracan and then the NSX. The near-4000 lbs Godzilla does a good job at stopping as well. 

With a powerful car like the 2018 Audi R8 in equation, fuel economy is a question that goes in for a toss because the huge 5.2L V10 sitting in the centre of the car is a fuel-chugger and as such, returns barely 14 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway for a combined 18 MPG from a 21.9 gallon fuel tank. While this might not be the best figures out there, the range on offer is certainly not the worst. 

The Acura NSX is the most fuel-efficient car in the segment owing to the hybrid nature and a twin-turbocharged V6 for its disposal, with the MPG in the city being 50% more than that of the Audi and the Lamborghini. The one area it suffers the most is the fuel-tank capacity which is not sufficient for racking up miles on the highway. The Audi gets the most MPG on the highway with the estimated range being upwards of 500 miles. 

The 2018 Audi R8’s interior is minimalistic and remains true to its sporty roots with just the basic “luxury” inside the cabin. The overall interior design is very minimal which is reciprocated with the overall cabin design. The door panels and the dashboard have a very basic design, with the carbon fiber trim adding a bit more visual enhancement to the whole interior. In the centre, there is no infotainment system to enable maximum on-road concentration while on the drive. There are three knobs for controlling the climate control while there is a small cubby, gear lever, drive controls, and a couple of cup holders. 

The seats are one piece and are upholstered fulli in leather with solid bolstering on the top and on the bottom area. These seats are fully power-adjustable with the RWS getting 14-way adjustability while the higher trim gets 18-way adjustability on offer. There are no rear seats because, obviously. The cabin space is decent for the segment with plenty of headroom for both the front passengers to enjoy. 

The Acura gets the most spacious cabin with the most space for the occupants to enjoy but is not as gifted as the GT-R when it comes to legroom, of which the latter has an “abundance”. The GT-R also gets rear seats which are rather compromised for adults but can easily fit in kids and children who’d love a spin in the car. The coupe also gets the most trunk space which is nearly a cubic feet more than the R8’s. 

Some of the highlighting interior features of the 2018 R8 are:

• Leather upholstery
• Illuminated door sills
• Microfiber suede headliner
• 14-/18-way power-adjustable seats with heating
• Keyless entry and ignition

2018 Audi R8: Infotainment features

The 2018 Audi R8 doesn’t have a primary infotainment screen on offer in either of its trims but what you do get is a digital instrument display which sits behind the steering wheels and at a very convenient angle for the driver. This display measures 12.3 inches diagonally and shows all the primary information along with the different driving mode selected and also changes the whole display accordingly. The brightness is adequate for the driver to see clearly at a glance with the information spread out evenly. 

The R8 comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard across all the trims. The music is output via a 5-speaker setup on the RWS but the higher trim gets an impressive 13-speaker and 550-watt sound system that gives a whole new feel to the music being played inside the cabin. Some of the highlighting features include:

• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster 
• Bluetooth
• Satellite radio
• Navigation
• Apple CarPlay 
• Android Auto
• Two USB ports
• One 12V outlet
• 5-/13-speaker sound system

The 2018 Audi R8 shares its underpinnings with the Lamborghini Huracan and as such, has a very similar base design on top of which the GErmans have done their magic and created a very handsome-looking product with an integrated rear spoiler and two big gaping exhaust pipes. The gem of the design is the impressive V10 which is put on display for the others to cherish and appreciate. The vents function and serve a purpose - reduce aerodynamic drag. 

On the side, the 2018 R8 carries on the cionic side blades which are exclusive to the German coupe. The wheel sizes start at 19-inches and rise to 20-inches on the AWD model and the more powerful V10 Plus Coupe. The overall design is stunning and surely a headturner. On the front, the design is simple with Audi’s LED headlights and a big grille up front. 

The GT-R remains the heaviest of the segment due to all the extra it offers over the others and that said, it is also the longest due to the rear-row of seating and the big trunk space. The Audi R8 isn’t the longest but has a good cabin space inside for the people to enjoy. The longer wheelbase does help in maintaining stability around the corners but, on the other hand, makes it a bit difficult to drive around the city. 

Some of the highlighting styling features are:

• LED headlamps
• Functional vents
• Black honeycomb grille
• 19-/20-inch alloy wheels
• Twin-tube exhausts

The 2018 Audi R8 gets a strong monocoque chassis made of a rigid aluminium structure that ensures safety while keeping the weight in check as well. The majority of the car’s weight is focused mostly on the V10 that is there in the middle of the chassis and also provides a good balance. As for the driver-assistance features, there aren’t many in the sports coupe but Audi has planned to lace the upcoming 2020 model year with the best-possible features in the market. Some of the highlighting safety features on the car are:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Rearview camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Aluminum monocoque construction
• Side impact beams

2018 Audi R8 Vs. 2018 Lamborghini Huracan

The Lamborghini Huracan does take up the competition a notch up with the more powerful tune on the, technically, same engine and hence is the quicker one but the Audi R8 has affordability on its side and can also be had as a RWD for way less than the Huracan’s RWD counterpart. Also, since the engine is the same there isn;t much difference to the overall driving experience. The R8 is also a wee bit better in MPGs and also has more space to carry more stuff. 

2018 Audi R8 Vs. 2018 Acura NSX

Comparing these two, the R8 is pure muscle with its naturally-aspirated V10 while the Acura NSX is a more eco-friendly approach that has more mass-appeal among its peers. It has a battery pack which helps in weight distribution while the fuel-economy is pretty impressive for the class it competes in. The Audi, on the contrary, is a more driver-focused machine and feels at-home on a track. 

2018 Audi R8 Vs. 2018 Nissan GT-R

The Audi R8 is an all-out no-compromise sports coupe that's meant to do one thing - set lap times. It is more fun to drive and drift about whereas the Nissan GT-R is all about being quick, comfortable, and having composure. You can see a R8 drift around and a GT-R overstepping other cars on a drag strip. The R8 is precise, agile, committed, and full of German over-engineering while the Godzilla is a comfortable sports cruiser, comparatively, and has a lot of comfort for long drives. 

The 2018 Audi R8 is meant to be one of the sportiest cars around and, ideally, should be a bare-minimum offering with agile handling and a massively powerful engine. The German manufacturer has made the package in such a way that there’s a bit of luxury and comfort as well to drive the supercar daily. The only thing that might lack is a good MPG, but, who cares about that when there’s a NA V10 symphony following you everywhere?