Used car buying guide: Audi R8

 Before its debut, if you had told people that a certian GErman brand would produce the Audi R8, a mid-engined supercar to rival the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo and Lamborghini Gallardo, and that it would be a resounding success, they would have keeled over laughing.

Who knew that once the Audi  R8 arrived in 2007, it would take the car world by storm? From a thrilling driving experience to remarkable everyday usability, it will go down as one of Audi’s greatest creations.

The first-generation R8 was initially offered solely with a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 producing 414bhp and redlining at 8500rpm. It’s essentially the same unit you find in the Audi RS4 of the same vintage, and you can expect the same throaty, sonorous roar and rev-happy nature. Pair it with an awesome, gated six-speed manual gearbox, and it becomes an enthusiast’s dream.

For even more drama, a 5.2-litre V10 with 517bhp became available in 2009. And, yes, the engine is taken from the Gallardo. So equipped, the R8’s 0-62mph time drops from 4.2sec in the V8 to 3.9sec. That figure dropped further to 3.5sec in 2013, when the 542bhp V10 Plus variant made its grand entrance. In this guise, the model also received a 50kg weight reduction, revised suspension and carbon-ceramic brakes.

However, a supercar is nothing without sharp, precise and engaging handling, and in this respect the R8 yet again proves spectacular.