During the 20th Century, the Audi brand was something of the odd man out amongst the trio of big German luxury carmakers. Mercedes-Benz represented stalwart luxury cars , while BMW s tood for sporty, involving vehicles that didn’t skimp on comfort — but both had a history filled with speed machines and sports cars. Audi, however, was known mostly for being big on all-wheel-drive and Bauhaus styling.
Sure, the brand had dallied in rallying from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, but with a heavily modified version of its compact car of the time. A true sports car — well, that was one thing that Audi had never made. At least, until the R8 came along .
From its start as a concept car in 2003 to its final bow 21 years later, the mid-engined machine served as a range-topping halo car and a signal of intent: Audi was no longer satisfied playing second fiddle to anybody. Much like the Acura NSX did decades earlier, it redefined how comfortable and easy to drive a supercar could be. Its design instantly became iconic; its performance put it in league with cars that cost far more.
It’s not too ambitious to say it played a key role in redefining Audi for the 2000s. This is the pocket history of the Audi R8..
