Audi R8 RWS | Spotted

The Audi R8 had everything going for it when it launched back in 2007: supercar looks, a naturally aspirated V8 with 420hp on tap and, best of all, a six-speed manual with a gated shifter. For a company that had never built a high-end sports car before, Audi came out of the blocks with a car capable of taking on the mighty 997 Porsche 911 right from the get-go. And it got better as the years went by. First a V10 model, then a more track-focused GT edition to bring an end to the first generation, swiftly followed by a second-gen model that propelled the R8 well and truly into the supercar arena.

However, for all the track variants and special editions, the R8 remained all-wheel drive for well over a decade. All versions were good to drive and could hold their own against more senior options, but some wondered if the R8 could be even better if power were sent to the back axle exclusively, thereby removing a load of weight from the front in the process. Of course, nobody really expected Audi to go rear-drive with the R8; Quattro is a staple of the company’s performance cars and, if it were ditched, it might threaten its Lamborghini sibling, the Huracan. Not to mention the 911 GT3, by then part of the VW Group. 

But then, in 2018, Audi pulled the trigger with the car you see here: the R8 RWS. The Rear Wheel Series focused more on simplifying than gunning for outright performance. The basis of the RWS would be the entry-level, 540hp version of its 5.2-litre V10, though the removal of the front driveshafts and differential saved a handy 50kg over the Quattro. Naturally, this would make the R8 a bit more challenging to drive, so boffins at Audi Sport fitted a beefier front anti-roll bar and tweaked the geometric to induce a bit more understeer in the name of safety. This is Audi we’re talking about. 

Thankfully, Audi also chucked out the R8’s awkward dynamic steering and settled for passive dampers, while power was channelled rearwards through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a no-frills limited-slip differential. This was the most basic R8 Audi had ever produced, even more so than the original V8, and yet it was widely praised for being the best of the lot to drive. Dan P wrote in 2018 that the RWS was the “sweetest and most enjoyable second-generation R8 so far”, hailing the “uncorrupted” feel of the standard steering rack and the “newfound responsiveness” from the front end. You won’t read that in any of the Quattro R8 reviews.

Perhaps anticipating that the RWS would be received more favourably than the Quattro, production was strictly limited to 999 units worldwide. Visual changes included an optional red stripe, a smattering of Audi Sport badges, a plaque reading ‘1 of 999’, and not much else. But the genius of the RWS is simplicity; leave the carbon splitter, skirts and wings to the track specials.

So what we have here is one of the best handling R8s there’s ever been, released to critical acclaim and built in relatively tiny numbers. Strangely, values haven’t exploded in the same way that lightweight(ish), limited-run supercars from Germany so often do. These were £112,000 when new, yet this 12,000-mile example can be had for just £76,990 – not to mention the £10,000 of optional extras the original owner splashed out on, so says the seller. That’s a lot of money that could have been spent on a 911 GT3 back in 2018; now, however, it’s either this or a Cayman GTS 4.0. Surely the V10 edges it. 

Engine: 5,204cc V10
Transmission: seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 540@7,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 398@4,7800rpm
MPG: 22.38
CO2: 283g/km
Year registered: 2018
Recorded mileage: 12,000
Price new: £112,450 (before options)
Yours for: £76,990