Awaken the R8’s 5.2-litre bent-ten from its slumber and drink in the noise. In an age when batteries and turbos are smothering the sounds of engines, the naturally-aspirated, Lamborghini-based V10 is just… shattering. Literally, if you’ve parked too close to a single-glazed window.
This is how F1 cars used to sound, and how all cars really should sound. It’s shatteringly fast too, with proper supercar performance and enough verve to give the occasional passing Ferrari 488 a fright. And it’s not all about the engine either - the chassis is deft and precise, and thanks to Quatrro 4WD, it’s (almost) as easy to drive as an A4.
The problem is that the cabin is also too similar to that of the A4 - it’s just to dull for a car this expensive. Ditto the exterior styling. And when your price tag makes a 911 look like conspicuously good value, you know you’ve gone too far.
Best model: V10+ Coupe
Prices start from: €238,820
Finance package from: €2,479
Co2 emissions: 272-287g/km
Sum-up: Glorious engine, brilliant handling, but colossal price tag and pedestrian styling.