This Used V10 Audi R8 Is A Gated Manual Goddess

Two things were conspicuously absent when the new, second-generation Audi R8 was revealed: a V8 engine, and a manual gearbox. This wasn’t much of a surprise, as take-up of both the 4.2-litre eight-banger and the stick-shifter were hilariously low. Sales of the V8 were minimal, and 99 per cent of overall buyers opted for the S Tronic dual-clutch transmission in the last three years of the first-gen R8’s production run.

Our man Darren Cassey found little to fault with the seven-speed ‘box when driving the car in France this week (make sure you check out the full review!), but there will still be the odd person here and there that’ll miss the old manual. Hell, it did have a gated shifter, remember. But, it’s not all bad news, as used first-gen V10 R8s in manual form are in reasonable supply, and prices start at around half that of the entry-level second-gen car’s £119,500 price tag.

Buy one of these, and you won’t be wanting for pace. You get the same 5.2-litre V10 found in the middle of the new one, and with 518bhp available, it’s just 15bhp down on the car which recently replaced it. 0-62mph is dealt with in 3.9 seconds, and if you toddle down to VMax or find a clear enough stretch of autobahn, you should be able to hit 197mph.

It’s not just a straight-line hero, of course; the R8 is blessed with a four-wheel drive chassis that strikes a good balance between being confidence inspiring while having a pleasantly rear-led attitude.

Have a cool £60,000 burning in your pocket? This 2009 example could be worth a look. It’s done just 22,000 miles, has a full service history and looks stunning in Pearlescent Phantom Black Pearl.