First of all, when gauging whether a car is a "supercar" it must be done in the context of when it was released. The Ferrari 430, making 490hp, was on sale when the Gen-1 R8 V10 arrived. The R8 was making more horsepower and looked every bit the part. Likewise, as we all know, the Gen-1 R8 V10 and LP Gallardo essentially shared a drivetrain. Even when the Gen-1 V8 was conceived as a concept car, the Ferrari 360 was in production and making 400hp - compared to the R8's 420hp. So, the R8 was very much "period-correct" in its power when compared to other supercar peers. But NOTHING that comes with a V8 or V10 mounted in the middle is a "regular" car... nothing that was doing 0 - 60 in 3.x seconds from the factory in the mid-2000's was a "regular" car, either. Hence the term "super" applying here.

As for exotic, the R8 was hand-built in small numbers. Roughly 6,000 came to the US. That's a pretty small number. Exotic, in my mind, is simply "rare" and usually unique. In the case of the R8, it was built in a dedicated factory and largely by hand... not the run-of-the-mill approach to building a mass produced car by any means. I've shared this before, but there are actually more 05/06 Ford GTs in the US than there are Gen-1 R8 V10s. And, when a car has a 10-cylinder engine revving to 8,700 RPM, and it has a replacement cost over $50k for that engine alone, it's "exotic" in my mind.

But yes, as many others have already pointed out, auto journalists have, throughout the years, largely represented the R8 (correctly) as a "supercar." The term "exotic" may be even more squishy to define, but it meets that definition in my book, too.

 

not that it meets every criteria you've outlined but my 2008 m3 had a 8200rpm redline v8 that was even smaller than the r8 and produced the same power. come to think of it, it had keyess entry and push button start too! (yes im still bitter about that)
a better poll might have been the same question but for the rs4... i wonder how people would have voted then for a car with the same drivetrain as the first r8 but much more subdued appearance and engine layout

 

So, just to quote some "nobodies" who know nothing about cars...

Top Gear: "A supercar that fully deserves its spot at the top table."

Auto Express: "The Audi R8 is a true supercar that's devastatingly fast..."

Jalopnik: "The R8 is a wonderful and very strange car, a supercar that's too polite to act like one in public."

The Drive: "Audi's darling supercar is offered in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive."

Truecar: "A six-figure two-seat mid-engine supercar with over 600 horsepower, the Audi R8 lives at the top of the Audi food chain."

CNET: "If the non-electrified supercar is on its way out, there may be no more glorious a final breath than one pumped through this 5.2-liter V10."

Car Buzz: "The German machine easily competes with established manufacturers such as Ferrari and McLaren, not just for visual drama but for auditory effect, too, giving it a reason to lay claim to the title of being a true supercar."

Motor1: "Audi's V10-powered halo product remains one of the best supercars around."

US News: "You should consider the R8 if you're looking for an eye-catching supercar and don't care about practicality or price."

Cars Guide (AU): "Though the interior of the R8 supercar might look sparse and barren, Audi has opted for a paired-back aesthetic to keep drivers focused on the road ahead."

The Supercar Blog: "Like Lamborghini, Audi is also planning a send-off for its flagship supercar."

Business Insider: "The Audi R8 is a stellar supercar..."

Auto Evolution: "Audi Officially Confirms That the R8 Supercar Is Dead As We Know It"

Supercar Superbuilds (film description): "Two decades ago, Audi was an outsider in the sports car world. Now, over a dozen Le Mans wins later, the brand is taking what they've learned from racing and applying it to the street. Enter the Audi factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, where highly trained craftspeople are building the second generation R8 V10 Plus, the fastest production machine to ever wear the four rings. See how this $180,000+ speedster's radical style, game-changing reliability, and heady performance helped transform not only the supercar class, but Audi itself."

Hot Cars: "The Audi R8 is Audi's top dog and their flagship supercar that goes head-to-head with the exotic Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Porsches."

Top Speed: "If you want an Audi supercar with a V10 engine, you better head to your nearest dealer and buy one now."

Auto Trader: "Like most other supercars, the R8 is light on the sort of driver aids and safety features now found..."

Robb Report: "First Drive: Audi's 2020 R8 V10 Performance Is a Supercar That Doubles as a Daily Driver."

Supercar Nostalgia: "After two more victories for Audi's LMP car at Le Mans in 2004 and 2005, management decided the firm's new supercar would be named R8..."

KBB: "The 2022 Audi R8 is the unlikely supercar."

Car Magazine (UK): "The R8 is Audi's supercar – and did a similar job that the NSX did for Honda two decades ago."

Auto Coin Cars: "Audi's R8 supercar has long been lauded for its incredible performance and beautiful design."

Quattro Daily: "Check out this new POV drive video of the Audi R8 V10 Plus to see why it's an excellent everyday supercar."

Car Expert (AU): "Audi's rear-wheel drive, mid-engine R8 V10 supercar..."

Motor Biscuit: "The Audi R8 is an underrated competitor in the supercar market, being lost in a sea of Lamborghinis and Ferraris."

Motor Trend: "Like most supercars, the R8 was not built for runs to the hardware store."

Motor Authority: "The R8’s project manager, Bjorn Friedrich, confirmed to Car Throttle in a Thursday report the current-generation of the supercar will stick with a V-10 engine."

OK, I got tired of copying and pasting clips here...

So, let's think this through... is the guy organizing the cars and coffee right... OR... I don't know, the ENTIRETY of the automotive journalism world?? Tough call here, I know.

 

jesus chris how long did that take to compile. i mean i'm not going to go look them up and just trust you looked those up rather than made it all up but holy crap. either that or you have photographic memory when it comes to car reviews and just remembered all that off the top of your head!

 

That’s how life goes. When you buy a sports car somebody tells you it’s not a supercar.

When you buy a supercar somebody tells you it’s not a “true” supercar.

When you buy a “true” supercar somebody tells you that it’s not exclusive enough.

When you buy an exclusive supercar somebody tells you it’s not a hypercar.

Rinse and repeat.

Just enjoy your cars, my friends, and screw those 2 idiots in San Antonio, you will never get everyone to agree on everything!

 

yup, bought a Huracan, but it’s not a V12 and doors don’t go up so not a “true” lambo.

I wonder what they say to guys with Aventadors. Maybe it’s not fast enough, slowest supercar. Not a hypercar.

 

If Google matters, search "Top Supercars" and the R8 is listed #1.

 

From this list, a base 911, and circa 80’s 911 are more of a supercar than GT variants or the 918. Nailed it again Google.

 

Somewhere on a yacht forum...

Guy 1: "Is my Princess Y85 a superyacht? Some guy at the boat show said no. "

Guy 2: "No, you'll need at least the Y95 - that's the top of their Y line."

Guy 3: "Well, no, Sunseeker says their superyachts start at 116 feet, so you're both wrong!"

Guy 4: "It's not a superyacht unless it has at least 4 full-time crew."

Guy 5: "Well, I have the 159 foot Sunseeker Ocean, and I think nothing under 150 feet qualifies as super!"

Guy 6: "Wikipedia says: A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from 40 metres (130 ft) to more than 180 metres (590 ft) in length, and sometimes include yachts as small as 24 metres (79 ft)."

Guy 7: "My 500 foot yacht is definitely a MEGA yacht, not a plebian SUPER yacht... especially if some little 79 footer can be included in that definition."

I think it helps to add some perspective here and consider that most of the world's population who owns a car will never own one that retails for more than half the price of an average US home... nor accelerates more than twice as quick as an average car, or reach a top speed near 200mph. That's "super" to most people... just as a 95 foot yacht OR 116 foot yacht would be equally "super." Exotic? As I said - there are about 6,000 R8s in the US for the entire Gen-1 run of 8 years. Consider this - Toyota sells about 6,000 Camry's in the US in roughly a single week! In fact, in the 8 years the Gen-1 R8 sold roughly 6,000 units in the US, Toyota sold 3,098,834 Camrys over that same time period... a staggering 516 times more cars. So yes, to most people who drive a Camry or something like it, which is most of the population, an R8 is going to be very rare and exotic.

Perspective!

 

Perspective!

Yep! And also, regarding all of this, according to who and why do I care? Really doesn't have a thing to do with why I enjoy the car so much.

 

This is ridiculous. Every journalist out there refers to the R8 as a supercar. Why is this even a poll? So what if some idiots in Texas don’t agree?

It has an exotic look, goes > 200 MPH, and has the identical drivetrain of a Lambo Huracan

 

The reason I created the poll and started this thread is because I'm butthurt that I can't park in the exclusive section. I fully believe the R8 is a supercar, and I know many others do as well. I'm just trying to seek some justification as to why I can't park there any longer. I'm coming out of a 2019 McLaren 570s spider I had for 1.5 years and put 14k miles on and I consider both of these cars "supercars" , with the exception of one being able to drive without me having to worry about getting stranded or my windshield randomly cracking in my garage.

 

GEN 1 V8 maybe exotic sports car.

but V10/GEN 2 is definitely a supercar.

 

Yeah, I was gonna say the same thing. Gen 2 V10 is a whole different story

 

I believe this has more to do with the mentality of one single idiot that organizes cars and coffee here in San Antonio. I have never been to one and hearing this information makes me want to start a Hill Country Cars and Coffee. All cars welcome accept for whatever that guy drives. I am this level of petty.

 

The “all cars welcome…” comment made me laugh so hard

 

I’m proud I drive the Rodney Dangerfield of super cars, no respect I tell you, no respect.

 

I just drove the nurburgring nordschleife today and audi has an area there with this car on show. Sure seems to be pretty super if they put it on display at that track.

 

^ Yep, the GT3 is one car I would consider trading in my awesome new R8 for………actually not really. I would still rather have the V10.

If I were to trade out of my R8 some day, it would probably be either for a Ferrari, Lambo, or a McLaren. Problem is, Ferrari is all in on turbocharging, McLaren is eventually going to dump the V8 (check out the Artura), and Lambo is holding on but I already basically own a Huracan with my V10 so the only better option is an Aventador which is insanely expensive.

This 602 hp R8 is looking like a keeper….

 

Ditto.

 

A few months ago, I spent the night sleeping on a wood floor in the "school" in this village and eating fish out of the Amazon river. They had a donkey and were pretty sure it was a super donkey because no one within a 4 hour boat ride had anything that nice. But I told them the guys in the "city" 8 hours away by boat had a much nicer actual horse so they could suck it.

 

Looks like Louisiana after a hurricane.

 

Everyone has their own definition - "how long is a piece of string?". Personal take - who cares - I love driving it and it puts a smile on my face every morning. A bit like dating a model - who cares if she is a supermodel or just a model

 

This notion of "just an Audi" got me thinking today when I saw a few A4, A6, S4, etc cars.

The R8 is really just an Audi superficially, it has more in common with the Lambo than any of the other current Audi models, including the RS variants. That's what makes this car so special and worthy of collecting. When Audi sadly transitions to EV, that shared drivetrain with Lamborghini will no longer exist. Lamborghini will continue to develop hybrids, turbocharged engines, etc, meanwhile Audi's flagship will be a damned rebranded Taycan. So this is Audi's last supercar, folks!!!

 

Back in the day, a supercar was any expensive street legal car that's flashy, fast, luxurious, prestigious, and rare. They were top of the line, the best of the best cars. And it was easy to spot one; because they were so rare.

Nowadays, the lines are all blurry. HP, speed, cost, flashiness, luxury, exclusivity, cannot be used to judge if a car is a supercar (Tesla is a good example.) Consequently, it often comes down to a blind judgement.

So, if a guy in some obscure Texas town thinks a Porsche 996 is a supercar but a ‘22 R8 isn’t, well, don’t argue with him. Go find a set of likeminded guys with whom you would like to hang around and have coffee with.

 

I think aside from performance (in a world where it’s becoming easier and easier to make high performance cars), a “supercar” needs some level of brand recognition as a supercar brand, even though many will argue against it. The Audi brand makes great cars but not really exclusively known for supercars. People won’t think you own a supercar if you just say you have an Audi the way you can with Lamborghini or Ferrari or McLaren. You’d have to be specific.

 

Where does the LFA fit into this? What about the Carrera GT or the 918?

 

Supercar and exotic for me (and the '05-'06 Ford GT team) = Aesthetics, performance (~200 mph confidently and carves corners like no tomorrow), ~500 HP+ mid-engined, sound, two seats (not 2+2) and yes rarity (the Lambos have similar production numbers to the R8). They look crazy fast sitting still.
(of note...the McLaren F1 anti-social three seating...clearly exotic)

Sorry, yes this criteria would exclude the 911's...but the Carrera GT and 918...like the R8...exotics all day long.

But frankly anyone discounting bad ass cars for their exclusive front row "club" is not worth joining IMHO.

 

I don’t know, given the low production numbers the R8 is a pretty uncommon sight, seems kind of exotic to me

 

I agree... this past Saturday, I was driving home from a small local car show (Rancho Santa Fe Cars and Coffee) - keep in mind this is southern California, where McLarens are fairly easy to spot on any given day. Anyway, I was driving through a nearby city and had to stop in front of a popular restaurant for a stop light... an entire party of people that were leaving stopped walking and were just staring and commenting on my car... of course I let it roar as I left (I feel it is an obligation to entertain the general public.. hah ha ahh hah) ... I think when stuff like that happens, it pretty much defines exotic.

 

According to San Antonio's Cars and Coffee event page, an Audi R8 is not considered a supercar / exotic. I've been to tons of shows all over Texas, and in every single circumstance, an Audi R8 was considered an exotic/supercar. The event organizer also doesn't consider a Porsche 911 GT2 RS/GT3RS or a GT3 to be worth of parking up front either. (For those wondering, I'm not the same Joe as the one who posted this comment on the facebook page, it just so happens that we both coincidentally have the same name)

Thoughts?

View attachment 276899

"Pearls before the swine"

 

Don't hate me for this, but I consider mine a relatively fast Audi that looks really cool. I think the 2014 v8 that I have is slower than most new audi sedans with the S badge.

 

I’ve always wondered about some of these Cars and Coffees and how they “define” different cars, I went to one a few years ago, any Porsche was allowed inside but Audi R8’s weren’t, so literally a brand new Gen 2 $200k R8 wasn’t allowed in but a $30k Porsche 996 was? A $30k-$40k 2005 DB9 was allowed in but an R8 wasn’t, etc? Saw one that basically went through and said R8’s were allowed in, but base model 911’s weren’t, had to be Turbo/GT3 etc to be allowed in, it’s their event so they set the rules, I just always “wonder” who is setting the rules and what are they based on, is it value? If it’s value how do you define a $150k+ C7 ZR1 vs a base 996? Etc

 

^ They probably have some jealous members with a chip on their shoulder. You never know, LOL

I do know that some Porsche fanboys are not R8 fans, for whatever reason

 

To be honest the only people that I've seen debate this are people who wouldn't ever be able to own one. Not trying to be pretentious with that statement but it's what I've observed.

The R8 is absolutely a supercar and this is coming from a Porsche fanboy who doesn't think the 911 is a supercar.

 

To be honest the only people that I've seen debate this are people who wouldn't ever be able to own one. Not trying to be pretentious with that statement but it's what I've observed.

I think quite the opposite... only the people that own one try to promote/defend it as a supercar.

 

And the crazy conspiracy theorists who claimed covid came from a lab in China. MSNBC told me last year that those two groups were the same. Fauci also backed them up. That reminds me, I need to go get my 7th vaccine before it's too late. I'm a healthy man in his 40's and it sounds like certain death if I get it.

 

 

Sometimes I wonder if my Huracan is a supercar.