Audi R8 Coupe 1st Generation 2008-2015 Review

The first-generation Audi R8 received regular but incremental updates during its first five years on the market, which resulted in an expanded model range with only minor cosmetic changes to help identify the different variants. The R8 took a year's leave of absence from the North American market for 2013, before returning for 2014 and 2015 with some more extensive styling updates and a vastly improved automatic transmission option.

The only surefire way of telling a pre-facelift first-generation Audi R8 apart from its facelifted counterpart is by checking out the shape of the radiator grille and headlights. Do not be deceived by the various grille designs offered for this model, as these items featured different detailing before and after the facelift, dependent on the engine and/or trim level.

Instead, look at the shape of the grille: Pre-facelift grilles have a trapezoidal outline, while the facelifted grille's two top corners have been cut away to give it a hexagonal shape¹. The lower front side air intakes didn't change much in size during the facelift, but the newer model's lower inner corners are chamfered upwards, in a similar fashion to the newer grille's top corners, and feature two high-gloss slats instead of three matte ones².

The headlights provide another indication of an Audi R8's vintage, because the facelifted model's headlight clusters are squared-off, while the pre-facelift R8 featured a much more curvaceous light-cluster outline. The daylight running lights (DRL) signature mirrors this, with a more pronounced, straight-lined solid LED DRL arrangement, rather than the curving dot-matrix-type DRL signature of the older car. Also note that full-LED lights became standard on all models with the facelift, while pre-facelift V8 models featured bi-xenon headlamps and only the V10 variants featured full-LED headlights³.

The bumper itself is also squared-off on the facelifted first-generation Audi R8, with a simpler surface treatment around the front wheel arches and softer creases over the front wheels⁴. Closer inspection will also reveal a slightly flatter hood and a smoother transition into the unchanged, straight-edged lower window line⁵.

The changes applied to the rear end of the first-generation Audi R8's facelift for 2014 are also easy to spot, with clear differences between their rear bumpers¹, exhaust arrangements², taillights³, and rear vents⁴.

Starting from the top, there are new LED tail lights with a strong horizontal design emphasis and DRLs which frame the entire light cluster, with Audi's neat sequential LED indicator lights underlining them - the pre-facelift model also featured LED lights, but with two rectangular DRL elements in each. The backup lights also moved from the outside edges of the older car's light clusters to the middle of the lights' red section³.

Below the taillights, the rear air vents changed from a four-slat design to three slats during the facelift. This only applies to the base R8 V8, however, as the R8 V10 launched with two-slat rear vents in 2010, before standardizing on three slats on all models with the facelift, framing a more-pronounced diffuser underneath⁴.

While the Audi R8's profile view didn't change all that much during the facelift, the headlights¹ and front fenders² are the main means of telling the pre-facelift one apart from the facelifted car. The flatter hood line likewise gives the game away, and the side skirts³ have a lower, curved surface treatment instead of the pre-facelift model's smoother detailing.

As before, the Audi Side Blades behind the doors on coupe models can be had in body color, silver, or black, depending on the first owner's selection.

The interior's design remained unchanged with the facelift, but sharp-eyed onlookers will notice that the facelift model's gauge clusters now have a dark background instead of the earlier model's light-gray instruments¹. On models equipped with the optional navigation system, the facelift R8 also gained a larger, higher-resolution infotainment display screen, but the dash-mounted MMI controller unfortunately remains unchanged².

And, where the pre-facelift R8 had smooth leather covering the steering wheel rim, the facelift R8 has two perforated sections on the sides of the steering wheel, and gains R8 badging in the gloss-finish lower steering wheel spoke. The steering wheel also gained a wider rim in the process³.

Lastly, new gloss-black and aluminum trim inserts add some glitz to the redesigned Audi R8's cabin⁴.

Initially launching in 2008 with only the V8 engine, the 1st-gen R8 range soon grew to include a V10 in various states of tune, turning it into a real supercar challenger in the process. Roadgoing R8s are equipped with rearward torque-biased quattro AWD, giving the R8 the agile handling one would expect from a proper sports car.

Initially, two transmission options were available for both engines: A traditional six-speed manual gearbox, or a six-speed single-clutch automated manual. Between these two, the manual is infinitely more desirable, thanks to its quick, slick, and secure shift quality. In contrast, the automated manual (dubbed R-Tronic in Audi-speak) is jerky on upshifts, and not even its cheeky throttle blip on downshifts can compensate for the generally lumpy behavior everywhere else.

The R-Tronic was shown the door during the 2014 facelift, and replaced by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (named S-Tronic) to give quicker gear changes under duress, and much smoother operation in normal driving. Both automatics have shift paddles behind the steering wheel, but those are only really pleasant to use with the S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission.

To provide a means of comparison between a car's official fuel-consumption figures and what drivers could expect in real-world driving, owners are encouraged to submit their measured fuel-consumption figures to the EPA. However, seeing as the Audi R8 is an enthusiast's car, it's perhaps understandable that few owners care about such matters, so there are no real-world figures to evaluate for the 1st-generation Audi R8.

There are some interesting points to note about the Audi R8's official consumption claims. Early models with the six-speed automated manual (R-Tronic) transmission are clearly thirstier than later examples with the seven-speed dual-clutch (S-Tronic) gearbox, but manual-transmission variants also tend to drink more heavily than their S-Tronic-equipped counterparts. Strangely, the Audi R8 4.2 V8 also appears to be less economical than an equivalent R8 V10 with the same transmission.

* Real-world mpg and MPGe figures are provided by the EPA. Once a car has been on sale for a significant period of time, the EPA gets real-world figures directly from the customer base. These figures are then provided on the EPA website. Real-world figures are not available for certain models due to a lack of sales, or not enough people partaking in this after-sales survey.

Even at its basic V8-engined level, the first gen R8 is a pretty rapid car, so it's reassuring to know that it is also loaded with a host of safety features. Standard safety features from launch include six airbags (two frontal airbags, two side-impact airbags with head-protection chambers, and two knee airbags), a self-dimming rearview mirror, seatbelt pretensioners, stability and traction control, four-wheel ventilated and perforated disc brakes with ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, and post-collision braking, automatic self-leveling bi-xenon headlights with high-pressure washers, LED daytime running lights (DRLs) front and rear, LED taillight clusters, and a child-seat anchor in the passenger seat.

The headlights were upgraded to full-LED specification across the board in 2014, but this feature was fitted to all V10 models since 2010, and became optional on the V8 in 2014. The Audi R8's safety specifications remained otherwise unchanged over its lifespan, possibly because there wasn't anything left for the engineers to add. A rearview camera and parking sensors front and rear were standard on the V10, but optional on the V8 all through its run.

No Audi R8 has yet been hurled at an obstacle to evaluate its crash safety, because it's an expensive and specialized vehicle. However, due to its rigid aluminum-and-carbon-fiber passenger cell construction and large frontal crumple zone, occupant protection should be very good.

Audi never sold the first-generation R8 in different trim levels, instead differentiating the R8 models by their power units. At first, there was only the R8 V8 quattro, joined two years later by the R8 V10 quattro, and soon followed by the V10 Plus quattro. In each case, more goodies were added on top of the base R8 V8's standard features list, although many of those additions eventually trickled down to the base model as well.

A nice interior has become an Audi hallmark through the years, and the R8's cabin continues this tradition. The layout is simple but attractive, and most of the key controls are within easy reach of the driver. But, while the build and material quality is customarily excellent, the MMI interface controller is mounted vertically on the center console, which, combined with the stretch necessary to reach it, doesn't aid its already patchy user-friendliness.

Apart from the infotainment interface being clunky to operate, there's nothing about which either driver or passenger could complain, because there's plenty of cabin space for an R8's two occupants. Headroom of 37.7 inches is on the tight side of comfortable, but considering the 1st-gen Audi R8's low-slung profile, it's surprisingly generous, and is made to feel like more by the very low seating position. 54.8 inches of shoulder room is likewise on the snug side, but compares fairly well to most compact sedans.

The luggage volume is another story, though, with only 6.7 cu.ft. of available cargo space - the Audi R8 is clearly not a cross-country touring car, unless you forget the passenger at home and use their seat for additional luggage storage. The 23.8-gallon fuel tank is handy, however, and should stretch intervals between feeding those rather thirsty engines to acceptable levels.

In contrast to most other sports cars, the first gen Audi R8 doesn't have a particularly onerous servicing schedule. In fact, its service requirements are much the same as any other Audi, although the labor charges to perform certain tasks will be much higher due to the engine being mounted in the middle of the car, hindering access.

The engine oil and its filter needs to be changed every 5,000 miles, and we advise owners to religiously stick to this interval. Manual transmissions (and the mechanically related R-Tronic automated manual) generally don't need fluid changes and don't present any transmission problems on 2008-2015 Audi R8 models, but on 2014 and 2015 R8s with the S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission (DSG), we'd recommend transmission-fluid and -filter changes every 30,000 miles to avoid transmission problems in the longer term.

Spark plugs should be good for 55,000 miles, and the engine's air filters (there are two) have the same recommended replacement interval. However, if an R8 frequently encounters dusty or otherwise-extreme conditions, engine air filter replacement intervals should be halved The same applies to the cabin air filter, which is supposed to last 15,000 miles, but will need attention more frequently if it often takes in dusty air.

Seeing as both V8 and V10 engines employ timing chains, there are no timing belts to consider for replacement, but the serpentine ancillary drive belt should at least be inspected every 15,000 miles, and replaced as soon as hairline cracks in their rubber coating start to appear. Brake fluid must be replaced every two years, regardless of distance covered. Few independent shops will likely have the expertise to work on one of these exotics and maintenance costs will be predictably expensive if you're doing it at an Audi dealership - which you should do to prevent expensive failures and to preserve the car's resale value. Major services will cost several thousand dollars.

The Audi R8 V8 needs 10.6 quarts (10 liters) of full-synthetic 5W-40 oil, which should cost between $144 and $185, including a new OEM oil filter. Interestingly, the V10 has a smaller oil capacity at only 8.8 quarts, making its oil changes less expensive than those of the V8; expect to pay between $132 and $173 to replace the oil and its filter on an Audi R8 V10.

Air-filter elements are not interchangeable between the V8 and V10 engines, but they both cost around $70 each from an Audi dealership. This totals about $140 in total per air-filter change, excluding labor, because each engine uses two air filters. Both engines do use the same spark plugs, making for a spark-plug replacement operation costing roughly $128 for the V8, and about $160 for the V10, excluding labor. This is assuming, of course, that you attempt the basic service as a DIY job, which we wouldn't recommend.

The only recall pertaining to the first generation Audi R8 involves 2011 and 2012 models with either engine, where a fuel-supply line could chafe against a heat shield in the engine bay. This could result in a fuel leak, and increase the risk of an engine fire.

Some owners have reported problems with the Audi R8's electro-hydraulic power steering systems, and most of them relate to leaking power-steering hoses. It's worth taking off the front undertray to inspect the hydraulic lines of this system every 30,000 miles or so, just to check for any fluid leaks - those owners who reported 2008-2015 Audi R8 power steering problems all noted that it's impossible to spot such a leak with the tray in place.

There are also reports of 2008-2015 Audi R8 radio problems, which seem to originate from the rear bumper-mounted aerial. This problem is especially noted with 2008 and 2009 model years, which had a different aerial design to the 2010+ models. Windshield-seal molding leaks have also been reported, but this appears to be related to incorrect fitment of replacement windshields, and there was no 2008-2015 Audi R8 windshield-molding recall notice issued.

There isn't really a bad first-generation Audi R8, but the least desirable is probably a pre-facelift V8 model with the R-Tronic transmission. The manual transmission is such a joy to operate and the R-Tronic is so uncooperative in normal operation, that it doesn't really make sense to settle for second-best. Early model years are also likely to be more trouble-prone, so a 2008-2009 Audi R8 V8 R-Tronic is probably going to be one to avoid.

If your budget can stretch to a 2015 Audi R8 Competition, that will undoubtedly be the one to get - if you can find one! The same applies to the super-rare R8 GT models, most of which have by now been snatched up by enthusiasts and collectors. In the real world, a normal Audi R8 V10 will be the nicest to have, with whichever transmission you prefer. Seeing as the 2014-2015 R8 V10 offered the excellent S-Tronic dual-clutch automatic, one of those will be the best choice for those who don't want to change their own gears.

Even with its potentially troublesome standard suspension, the first-generation Audi R8 is likely as close to being a fuss-free sports car as anyone could imagine. It's impractical from a cargo-carrying perspective, but in all respects, the Audi R8 really is a supercar which can be daily-driven. And, seeing as there won't be a third-generation R8 (the second-generation model is currently in its run-out phase), any R8 is likely to become collectable in the near future. Choose one with a complete service and maintenance history and then keep your hand on it, and you'll enjoy many years of genuine supercar experiences while your asset is appreciating in value. That's a win-win situation in anyone's books.