Skip advert
Advertisement

New Audi R8 Spyder 2016 review

Gorgeous looks, a V10 screamer and the wind in your hair means the Audi R8 Spyder is a sensational supercar

Overall Auto Express rating

5.0

How we review cars
Find your Audi R8
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

As lovely to drive as it is to look at, the Spyder is the R8 to go for. With the hood down, the sun on your face, and that V10 engine screaming its heart out, experiences on four wheels don’t get much better than this. At any price.

The headline numbers for all the latest versions of Audi’s R8 tend to include the words lighter, stiffer and faster, and this deeply sexy new £129,990 Spyder model is no exception.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Everything that moves beneath the car’s handsomely redesigned new bodywork has been paired back, improved and mechanically enhanced. The chassis is several kilograms lighter than in the previous generation model (but 50kg more than the current coupe) thanks to the use of carbon and aluminium but – and this is the truly impressive stat – it’s also 55 per cent stiffer than before.

This provides a basic platform that bosses claim is unsurpassed by any other rival, at any price point. The R8 Spyder, in other words, is the stiffest open top car money can buy.

But at the same time it is not the most powerful. Nor does it have the most torque. That’s because Audi has chosen not to offer the car in Plus guise with the 602bhp version of its thundering 5.2-litre V10 engine. Although this will come later – be under no illusion about that.

Instead, the Spyder makes do with the mildly detuned 533bhp version of the howling V10. As a result, 0-62mph takes a somewhat languid 3.6 seconds, while the top speed is an even more weedy 197mph.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Golf

2024 Volkswagen

Golf

84,859 milesManualPetrol1.5L

Cash £12,200
View Golf
Juke

2023 Nissan

Juke

9,913 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash £19,400
View Juke
Arona

2020 SEAT

Arona

39,173 milesAutomaticDiesel1.6L

Cash £12,600
View Arona
Q3

2023 Audi

Q3

72,003 milesAutomaticPetrol1.4L

Cash £20,500
View Q3

I’m joking, of course. In reality, the all wheel-drive Spyder has more than enough performance to please all but the most crazed speed junkies. On the move, in fact, it doesn’t feel much slower than a 602bhp coupe – even though it’s heavier and less powerful.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Best supercars

The canvas hood is an all-electric masterpiece of street theatre that takes 20 seconds to perform its ballet routine. It can also be lowered or raised at up to 30mph. There’s almost no buffeting of with the wind-breaker in place, while once up it provides the Spyder with an uncanny level of refinement.

And if you then drop the little aero screen that sits behind the seats, the noise that erupts into the cabin when you go past 4,000rpm is truly epic. And at the 8,500rpm red line it’s enough to make a full head of hair stand on its ends.

On the move there is accuracy and precision by the bucket load thanks to the R8’s new optional Dynamic steering. There’s little in the way of feel, so you end up trusting that the front tyres are going to go where you aim them – simply using your eyes. Your hands and fingertips receive rather less information, which is a shame, although to be fair the Dynamic-equipped Spyder did seem to steer with a touch more purity than the coupe’s we’ve tried. This could well be something to do with the equivalent suspension settings being a fraction softer than they are in the coupe, due to Audi’s desire to make the Spyder feel that little bit more like a cruiser than an out-and-out supercar.

Elsewhere, the new R8 Spyder is tough to fault. The engine is a gem, the ride and handling are beautifully balanced, while the sense of refinement screams at you from every direction. The hood is a thing of genius and the dual clutch gearbox works every bit as brilliantly as it does in the coupe. That said, the small boot in the nose doesn’t leave much room for bigger, solid cases – meaning a week away continues to demand some very practical packing.

As with most cars of this ilk, the compromises suffered by the Spyder are so hard to spot you do end up thinking; why bother with the coupe? The Spyder is every bit as engaging to drive as its fixed-roof sibling, with the huge added bonus of being able to drop the roof whenever the sun shines. If it was my money, it would go on the Spyder every day of the week.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £11,995
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £5,050 off RRP*Used from £13,125
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £19,690Avg. savings £4,685 off RRP*Used from £16,811
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £14,480Avg. savings £1,864 off RRP*Used from £6,700
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand
Cyberster Black - front 3/4

New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand

MG boss thinks special editions like this might be the ticket to keeping up demand for the electric sports car
News
10 Jul 2025
Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona: small hybrid SUVs in a big battle
Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona - front end

Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona: small hybrid SUVs in a big battle

Hybrid newcomers slug it out for family buyers’ hearts and minds
Car group tests
12 Jul 2025