The Audi R8 is a much-loved and well-respected car that has achieved a loyal following over the years. However, there is a certain point of contention regarding whether the R8 is a supercar or not.
While some may dispute the title, many people do consider the Audi R8 to be a supercar. However, when considering whether the Audi R8 is a supercar or not, it’s important to remember that the term “supercar” itself is subjective.
It’s key to consider the subjective term “supercar” when labeling the R8, as well as considering various characteristics the R8 offers that might qualify it as being a supercar.
What is a supercar?
When determining whether the Audi R8 is a supercar, it’s useful to first consider what a supercar is. The thing is, there isn’t a specific and clear definition of what a supercar encompasses.
For instance, many would argue a supercar needs to be able to achieve fast top speeds and quick acceleration. Though there’s no specific range for top speeds or 0-60 times that would determine whether a car is a supercar or not.
One could argue that a supercar offers a particular driving experience and uses particular technologies to provide that experience. Factors such as the type of engine it has, the price of the car, and vehicle scarcity could also come into play.
Further factors influencing whether a car could be defined as a supercar include the vehicle’s styling, aerodynamics, and the ratio of weight to power. However, these are all subjective and the specifics of what qualifies a vehicle as a supercar can vary greatly from one person to the next.
Some might argue a supercar needs to offer at least 500 hp, cost at least six figures, and be difficult to obtain due to low production numbers.
Others would argue a fairly loose definition of a supercar could be one that offers the best in performance, technology, as well as design found across the car industry, though again, “best” is subjective. Some would say a car doesn’t have to excel in all of these categories to merit being considered a supercar.
It’s also useful to distinguish supercars from sports cars and hypercars. Sports cars are positioned at the bottom of the hierarchy in terms of performance, with supercars in the middle and hypercars at the top; though this is not to say that some sports cars can’t be faster than some supercars.
Hypercars are the crème de la crème of supercars; vehicles that advance the car industry due to their exceptional technology and performance characteristics. All hypercars are supercars; however, many vehicles fall into the supercar category but are not hypercars.
Additionally, performance levels are constantly improving across the world of supercars. This in turn elevates the performance requirements needed to obtain the status of “hypercar” and some vehicles that are considered hypercars today may not be considered hypercars in the future as performance across the supercar industry improves.
While it’s clear that the Audi R8 is not a hypercar, many would argue it does fit in the supercar category while others may say it’s a sports car and it may come down to differences of opinion on particular models as well.
Does the Audi R8 have supercar characteristics?
To make a case for the Audi R8 falling into supercar territory, it’s handy to consider a few characteristics including speed, power, style, and price.
When taking a look at the various Audi R8 models, it’s fair to say they’re attractive cars, though perhaps not as aggressive in their styling as some supercars. The US version of the 2020 Audi R8 Performance has 602 hp, a V10 engine, and can achieve 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds.
All of the 2020 R8 models achieve top speeds of at least 200 mph, with the R8 V10 Performance coupe achieving 205 mph.
The R8 Performance coupe has a price tag starting at $198,850 and while this is nowhere near the top end of supercar pricing, it’s certainly within supercar category pricing. Audi has sold around 10,000 R8’s since 2008, so they’re not particularly rare, but again the level of scarcity required to reach supercar status is subjective.
A lot of the confusion and disagreements over whether the R8 is a supercar or not may come down to it not standing out in the supercar niche. That’s not to say it doesn’t offer supercar performance, but rather that other supercars may outshine it in certain categories such as horsepower, acceleration, or aggressively sleek styling, leaving the R8 a little in the shadows.