Audi R8 V10 review: the last naturally aspirated supercar you can drive every day
MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The R8 V10 is the supercar to buy in Bahrain if you actually want to drive it rather than trailer it: quattro traction handles the causeway's expansion joints and the odd wet morning without drama, the cabin is properly comfortable for a two-hour drive, and Audi's franchised network — while expensive — is far more present here than Lamborghini's or Ferrari's for the mechanically related Huracan. Budget seriously for tyres, brakes and insurance; nothing about running a V10 supercar in 45°C heat is cheap.
Pros
- 620 hp naturally aspirated V10 with a mechanical character turbo rivals cannot match
- Quattro all-wheel drive gives genuine year-round usability, including damp mornings
- More restrained, comfortable cabin than the mechanically related Lamborghini Huracan
- Audi's Bahrain franchised network can service it, unlike thinner exotic-brand coverage
Cons
- Tyres and brakes wear fast under Gulf heat and hard use, at supercar prices
- Insurance reflects the performance bracket regardless of the Audi badge
- Production ended in 2023 with no confirmed successor, so parts supply will thin over time
- Fuel consumption around 12.5 L/100 km in mixed use is substantial
The second-generation R8 arrived sharing its bones with the Lamborghini Huracan — an aluminium and carbon-fibre monocoque, the same naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10, the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox — but Audi tuned the whole experience to be usable rather than intimidating. The V10 Performance version, the one worth having, produces 620 hp and revs to 8,700 rpm with a mechanical intensity turbocharged rivals cannot replicate.
What makes it different from the Huracan it shares a platform with
Where the Lamborghini leans theatrical, the R8 is deliberately more restrained: a quieter cabin at cruising speed, better forward visibility, a boot in the nose big enough for genuine luggage, and quattro all-wheel drive tuned for confidence rather than outright drift theatre. In Bahrain that translates directly into usability — this is the supercar you can actually drive to a dinner in Adliya rather than one you trailer to a track day.
The Bahrain ownership reality
Audi's local franchised network can service an R8, which is a genuine advantage over the exotic-brand alternatives with thinner regional presence. That said, running costs are supercar-level regardless of badge: tyres wear fast under Gulf heat and hard use, brake service is not cheap, and insurance for a car in this performance bracket reflects the risk. Buy from documented, low-mileage history and expect the resale market to reward exactly that.