BMW i8 Vs First-Gen Audi R8: Can A Slice Of Future Porn Beat Old-School V8 Thrills?

Change is a force for good. The quest for new technologies and the advancing our civilisation in all fields is, in my mind, an unquestionably wonderful endeavour. Or at least, I thought that until about 10 minutes ago when I found myself back in an Audi R8 after spending a couple of hours getting acquainted with the futuristic BMW i8.

But first a little context as to why Alex and I (Matt had to duck out due to an unexpectedly early arrival) are currently racing around rural Surrey in two very pinch yourself cars. This generation of Audi R8 is on its way out. There’s a new quad-ringed supercar on the block, and you won’t be able to tick the 4.2-litre N/A V8 box this time around. We felt like this was a sad thing - the V8 might not have Ferrari-bothering performance, but it’s traditionally a more nimble and usable road drive than the V10 R8 - so we decided to get one in to say goodbye.

This naturally got us on to thinking about what we could put it up against. A final face-off to see how well the affordable supercar has aged. What better challenge, then, than the new kid on the block? The car that doesn’t just try to move the game on, it comprehensively rewrites the rule book: the BMW i8.

I’ve wanted to drive the i8 ever since BMW first revealed the production version looking near enough identical to 2009’s exciting BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept. The styling is extrovert, with the angular snout and pointed headlights folding out into smoother lines; the split in the bodywork at the rear of the roofline, which allows air to flow more efficiently out of the back end, is testament to the bold commitment to mastering aerodynamics.

I’ve driven the R8 before, and returning to it brings back fond memories. Yes, the interior is dated and hardly special, but it’s well built and functional. The performance isn’t electrifying, but it does a job, and with its rear torque bias you have to keep your wits about you, even in dry conditions.

I rock up to the first shoot location, meet Alex in the BMW i8, and immediately swap cars. The i8 doesn’t just take a bold, futuristic attitude to styling. Buried deep beneath its clinical curves sits a 228bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine, which is hardly anything to get excited about on its own. Fortunately there’s a 129bhp electric motor helping things along by providing instant torque until the petrol engine gets going. Overall, the system outputs 357bhp, enough to get the i8 from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds, 0.2sec faster than the R8.

The R8, on the other hand, couldn’t be better placed to put up a fight for the old school if it tried. Hunkered down in the middle of the chassis is a 423bhp 4.2-litre V8 powering all four wheels; over the years, a V8 has sat at the heart of iconic muscle cars, British sports cars, and everything in between, so what better to fight against this modern upstart?

Merely sitting in the BMW is an event. The brown and cream dashboard swoops and swishes beneath the windscreen and the TFT dials glow coldly back at you. Into D, and you pull away silently. The first thing you’ll notice is that everything on this car is light; the steering and the throttle take a moment’s adjustment, rewarding deftness and subtlety where the R8 prefers to be beaten into submission.

The way the i8 covers ground is surreal, its dampers soaking up the coarse road surface with aplomb. Even in its sportiest setting, the steering never really weights up as much as you’d like, and when you chuck it into corners you get the sense it doesn’t particularly enjoy leaning on its outer wheel. These are fairly skinny eco tyres, after all.

Once you become accustomed to the way this thing moves, though, you’ll realise you’re never watching the R8’s rump disappear into the distance. Smoothness and rhythm are the orders of the day here; the i8 rewards a driver who can keep the car as neutral as possible through a turn. Lean on the front too heavily, and herein lies understeer.

Olgun has indicated he’s happy with the shots from this location, so he jumps in the R8 with Alex and we head to location number two. At cruising speeds, in its most relaxed mode, the i8 makes more sense. As we trundle through towns, the sound of necks snapping in our direction drowns out the little three-pot’s grumble. This car captures the eye of young and old, woman and man; everyone wants to take it in.

As we pull into a strangely deserted pub car park for static shots, I climb out of the i8 and drink in its curves once more. They say familiarity breeds contempt, and after a few hours with this car I’m becoming accustomed to its extreme looks, its impact waning. The Audi sat beside it has gained classic status, its simple, practical styling completely at odds with the bonkers BMW.

After what seems like hours of three-point turns to keep Olgun’s camera happy, it’s time to jump back into the Audi to see if absence makes the heart grow fonder. Short answer? Yes, it does. Slamming the normal door shut behind me, I instantly feel more cocooned in the R8’s cabin. The i8 is open and airy, whereas the Audi feels sporty and purposeful. Push the gear selector into drive with a satisfying mechanical clunk, grab the thick-rimmed wheel and edge away.

This is suddenly everything I missed in the BMW. Planting my foot on the throttle, there’s firm resistance in the pedal, then the rear kicks out throwing dirt and stones into the bushes behind me. Out on the road, the tight turn Olgun has selected for panning shots immediately highlights the fantastic steering in the Audi. It’s perfectly weighted, giving you more confidence in the front end. The car loads up its outer wheel without a quarrel, and transmits that sense of grip into your body. I have full faith straight from the off.

The R8 has been around for a long time now, and even though the new version is very nearly here, this old boy still has me giggling - and that’s before I tune back into the growling V8 behind me. After the synthetic sound of the i8, this is a welcome return.

With the shoot over it’s time to head home, and Alex has made a grab for the BMW’s keys. I’m not surprised; it’s an extrovert thing and makes you feel like you’re driving the future. But despite being a self-confessed tech nerd, though, I don’t actually care. For all its look at me styling and fascinating hybrid technology, I’m not left clamouring for more.

The driving experience feels too clinical, and you feel too detached from the experience. In the Audi I feel like the vital cog tying everything together; in the i8 I feel like the weak link, tagging along for the ride. I have no doubt that as a daily driver the BMW would be fantastic, especially with a less clinical, hospital-like interior, but for driving thrills the R8 is the one that has me hooked.

It pains me to say it, but for the time being, the beguiling futuristic technology in the i8 still has a way to go to overtake the pure driving thrills provided by a big V8 and chunky tyres. I have no doubt it’ll get there, just not quite yet.