2022 Audi R8

　　

2022 Audi R8 Review

byReese CountsVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　, rating written byReese CountsCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　The 2022 Audi R8 is a sleek and powerful V10-powered performance car from the automaker's storied Audi Sport division. This is the same group that's been building performance Audis since the early 1980s. In addition to the R8 coupe and drop-top R8 Spyder, the saints in Audi Sport have blessed us with cars such as the Audi RS 5 coupe, RS Q8 SUV and the wicked Audi RS 6 Avant wagon. The second-gen R8 coupe and Spyder have gotten a number of updates over the years, including updated styling and extra horsepower in 2020 for all-wheel-drive models and more affordable rear-wheel-drive models in 2021. For 2022, the base rear-wheel-drive models get a bump in power too, up 30 horsepower and 8 lb-ft of torque over last year's model.

　　The R8 may look exotic with its mid-engine layout, sharp styling and wonderful exhaust note, but it's a surprisingly practical and comfortable car in day-to-day driving. Like the Porsche 911, the R8 feels just as at home cruising city streets as it does blasting up and down a winding road. We really don't have many complaints, though we do wish the R8 was available with some of the latest tech and driver aids Audi offers in other models.

　　Besides the Porsche 911, the R8 competes against sports cars including the Mercedes-AMG GT, Acura NSX and the BMW M8. Each one has its own feel and character, and there's honestly not a bad one in the bunch. But the R8, with its naturally aspirated V10 engine, still shines bright thanks to Audi's continuous updates since its debut.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

9.0/10

　　How does the R8 drive? The Audi R8 V10 Performance delivers the performance expected of an exotic sports car. Acceleration is otherworldly, reaching 60 mph in only 3.0 seconds. Handling is also unflappable, and the brakes are consistent and trustworthy.

　　What's surprising, though, is how easy it is to explore its incredible capabilities and how pleasant it drives when you're not dropping the hammer. Besides the power, braking and grip, the R8's steering contributes a lot to the overall experience, with appropriate effort at low and high speeds, quick responses, and a decent amount of feedback.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the R8? Comfort doesn't suffer as a result of the R8's impressive performance capabilities. The ride quality is appropriately stiff but not jarring. It has just enough compliance to filter out harsh impacts, and the standard R8's adaptive suspension should give an even broader range. The interior is also praiseworthy for its ability to keep road and wind noise at bay, allowing you to enjoy the glorious V10 growl.

　　We really only knock the R8 Performance for the sport seats that have no seatback adjustments. The side bolstering is also a bit too aggressive, which could be problematic for wider-bodied passengers. The seats in the base R8 are more accommodating but slightly less sporty.

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