I'm late to the conversation but I've been driving the R8 as my nearly daily for almost two years now and I find it a very easy car to live with.
Here's some comments I put on another thread after a year of ownership, and they remain as valid today (~19 months in).
No problems as a daily driver
For a wide, low supercar/sports car it remains an easy daily driver. Visibility is good, there is no scraping over bumps/ramps/inclines if taken at sensible speeds. I had more issues getting a MK1 TTR over bumps than I have had with the R8 – the front splitter gives great clearance for this type of car, and none of the horror stories I’ve heard around Gallardos and the need for front-lift for speed bumps, car parks and driveways. Manoeuvrable at low speeds, and easy to place when parking. Rear parking camera superb. Go easy on the peddle and it feels more like 200BHP than 430BHP, and power delivery is smooth however heavy you are on the peddle, making it a civilised car to drive when you need it to be. It’s wide, and the doors are wide, and I’m pretty wide too – so you do have to think a little about parking spaces, but it has never stopped me from going somewhere or being able to park once I got there.
The front boot is deep and square and more than capable of swallowing a decent amount of shopping. If you’re riding alone then the car would easily sink a weekly supermarket shop in the boot and passenger footwell.
It is thirsty though. Especially if you keep it a gear or two lower than it needs to be, to keep it in its peak power range and to get a howl from the engine. I’ve maybe averaged mid-teens. So get used to filling it up.
Sense of occasion
Definitely, and obviously dropped with time and familiarity with the car. But still exciting to drive, still encourages me to take the long/fun route from A to B, still makes me look back everytime I’m walking away from it. Dropping down low in to the seat feels great. The sound of the V8 remains something wonderful. More subtle, but (for me) far more special than trick exhausts on smaller engines. I love the ‘stealth’ look, in black – but will admit that pretty much any colour makes the car look more special (and better to photograph!).
Occasional reminders you’re driving something a bit unique
Struggling to source a tyre and find anywhere local outside of the dealer network able to change a tyre reminds you the car is relatively low volume and relatively unique. Halfords, Kwik-Fit, Black Circles, F1 Autocentres were all unable to help. And as far as I am aware not all Audi dealerships are set up to service the R8 (they need to be Audi Sport centres), and I struggled to find good independents familiar with the R8.
Public reaction
I don’t like standing out. So I’d no desire to own this car to say “look at me, look at me”. The car does get noticed, but only in a positive way. I’m surprised by how many non-petrolheads know what it is, when they wouldn’t have a clue what model of Ferrari had just driven past. Public reaction has only been positive – I’ve had countless conversations at petrol stations with folk wanting to know a bit about the car, and no issues in traffic or being let out at junctions.
Interestingly the car gets very little interest or enthusiasm at car meets, which I don’t mind – I’d rather spend the time looking around everyone elses cars than talking about my own, but whilst the general public seem quite interested in it (and know what it is) the car community seems less interested.
Running it alongside something else.
Practical considerations aside (i.e. the need to transport 4 people, dogs, sofas) I honestly don't know why you'd choose to run something less enjoyable as your daily. I don't ever want a mundane A to B drive. We're only on the planet once so why would I not want to enjoy every moment of something I love? In recent weeks my car has had a little work done to it and I've had a brand new A7 and Q5 as loan cars ... and I couldn't wait to hand them back. Great cars in many ways, but so dull to drive. No feel for where they were on the road, no engine/exhaust note, not steering feel at all, no thrill of all that power ... ugh!
Cost has been mentioned but I honestly don't think I'd be saving enough to make it worth the sacrifice if I had to run a second car alongside the R8 when you factor in depreciation, taxes, insurance, etc. on that second motor. I just couldn't run a 10 year old Peugeot day in day out when I'd the R8 waiting to be used. It'd crush me.
As for the cost of the R8 as a daily ...
Fuel aside
it has so far cost me £250 per month to daily my R8 (over 19 months). That includes an MOT, a minor and major service, 5 new tyres (a rear got a puncture about a month after I'd replaced it
), replacement central brake light, new timing belt and .... a replacement shock. And that's doing around 200 miles per week.
I can't think of a single thing I could do with £250 a month (legal or otherwise!!!) that would bring as much happiness to my life, so it seems money well spent.
Adding fuel on top bumps it up A LOT, but fuel economy isn't that much worse than lesser cars I've owned before. Perhaps 20% less efficient for a million miles more fun.
In conclusion - no regrets running it as a daily, and intention to continue to do so, and absolutely no desire to move on to anything else.