2010 Audi R8 V10 Spyder

With the Lamborghini Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V10 engine sitting right behind the driver, the four-wheel-drive chassis, which sends 70% of the engine’s formidable power to the rear wheels with the remaining 30% being funnelled forward, now had to channel 525bhp and almost 400lb/ft of torque, power enough to lift the R8’s top speed to almost 200mph – after hitting the benchmark 62mph in fewer than four seconds. That’s nudging superbike acceleration.

Constantly updated over the years – and spawning more special editions than almost any other car – it started life as a fixed-head coupe until the Spyder convertible arrived a couple of years later. Both shared the Gallardo’s chassis and floorpan in addition to its engine and gearbox.

And yet it remained as easy to drive as a simple TT. Just as Honda had done a generation earlier with its NSX, Audi had produced a truly useable (in every sense of the word) supercar.

It had everything: wild looks, even wilder performance and a chassis that you could waltz in perfect harmony with. Oh, and a soft-top Spyder joined the party two years after launch.

This one has been owned by a hard-core enthusiast for the last eight years, and he’s looked after and improved it during that time, while actually covering very few miles. The owner takes up the tale.

‘I’d had a Triumph Spitfire MkIV as an 18-year-old and since then I’ve always wanted a supercar – then in 2015 I found myself in a position to be able to get one. I had a cousin who had a Ferrari and it was forever causing him trouble, whereas I thought the R8 could be used daily, if that’s what you wanted from it. You wouldn’t go to a lot of places in a Ferrari, but I felt you could take the R8 anywhere.

‘I was drawn to this one because you don’t see don’t see many Spyders – the coupés are far more common and, after the Triumph, I’ve always liked soft tops too.

‘As I said, you can take it anywhere, but my wife doesn’t like it because the ride’s too firm and it’s sits so low to the road. Plus, with so little room for luggage, if we went away anywhere we tended not to use it. I’ve only done 3000 miles in it in the eight years I’ve owned it.’

This is a car that’s been molly coddled, and it shows as soon as you see it. The very dark grey paintwork is as faultless as a new car. The owner reports that he had any stone chips on the nose repaired, and that the grille is a unique ABT part. He says:

‘They call the paint colour Grey Metallic. That’s why I fitted the carbon windscreen surround in place of the silver original – it just goes with the colour a lot better.’

And it’s not just the windscreen surround that he’s replaced with expensive carbon fibre parts either – the rear heat vents, petrol cap, and lots of interior parts have also been replaced, at a total cost of around £10,000.

The red bands on the wheels are made by Kerbsafe. They sit between the tyre and rim, and prevent damage to the extremely expensive alloys if you misjudge a manoeuvre and clip the kerb. (See the documentation pictures and you’ll know why the Kerbsafe parts were added – one new wheel cost a previous owner nearly £1000.)

Apart from some very minor signs of wear on the red leather seats, the interior is a similar tale to the car’s stunning exterior.

The owner says:

‘I had unique R8 floor mats made and fitted to the car, which you can see in the pictures. I also took out the original radio and had a Pioneer Touchscreen DAB radio with satnav fitted – it’s fully personalised to the car with a custom made fitting plate, so it looks totally factory.

‘Everything works. The six speed Tiptronic gearbox can work as a standard auto, or you can use the steering wheel paddles. Then there’s launch mode, and the sport setting, neither of which I’ve ever used. You can also lower the suspension for track use. Again, that’s not an option I’ve tried.’

You’d have to be a braver man than I to flirt with track time in an R8. But if your name’s Jacky Ickx…

Nothing to see here, folks – well certainly nothing to worry about, anyway. It’s hard to see the sports exhaust system too, but thankfully you can hear it – as you can tell to some extent in the video, it sounds fabulous. In the flesh it sounds even better.

The V10 engine, as you’d expect from a car of this period and built to this level of quality, sounds no different from a new unit. It does sound distinctly Italian in our view – but it lacks the ability to cause anxiety as it’s very unlikely to go bang.

The current owner estimates he’s spent in the region of £20,000 maintaining this R8 over the last eight years – ‘I always had the oil changed regularly, even if I hadn’t actually used the car at all.’

This car comes with a fully stamped service book, plus a pile of invoices for maintenance work over the years, highlights of which include:

2010. Servicing work – £1361.

2013. Servicing work – £1022.

2013. Servicing work and major brake overhaul – £6014.

2014. Servicing and four new tyres – £1361.

2014. Servicing, new brake pads and handbrake calipers – £2136.

2014. New wheel, grille and numberplates – £8433.

2015. Servicing work – £457.

2015. Servicing work – £850.

2016. New header tank and repair to heated seat – £320.

2016. Labour to fit new springs and dampers all round, plus new oil cooler – £1138.

2018. Major service – £1223.

2019. Servicing work, new battery, four new tyres – £1161.

2021. Servicing work – £465.

2022. Servicing work – £421.

The owner says:

‘I don’t know anything about the previous owner – I bought it from Leicester dealer, and paid around £70k. I had all new original Audi springs and shocks fitted, and the car has never been near a track during my ownership. I suspect it hasn’t ever – I had the carbon brake discs inspected by a specialist and he said they’re pretty much like new, with less than 5% wear.

‘I have most of the original parts that I removed when I upgraded the car – the radio, etc, plus a custom made lockable soft cover. These will be available to buy separately, should the winning bidder be so inclined.’

Combining German build quality with supercar looks and performance, the R8 is a unique prospect in many ways, and one whose value will surely spiral in the same way as those of the original Audi Quattro have. The excellent history file, low mileage, superb condition and many upgraded parts make this a rare opportunity indeed.

We estimate this car to fetch in the region of £45,000 - £55,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.