Audi R8 review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

A mid-engined two-seater is never going to represent the last word in practicality, but the Audi R8 is usable every day. It’s roomy for two inside, although the driving position feels a little high-set when compared with close rivals from Porsche and McLaren.

Elsewhere, the cabin has plenty of handy storage, including a couple of cup-holders, large glovebox and shallow, lidded cubby on the transmission tunnel. There’s also a spacious 226-litre parcel shelf behind the front seats, which can be had with a handy luggage-retaining system. The R8 has a deep, 112-litre boot in the nose, but it lags well behind the Porsche 911, which also has the added benefit of folding back seats.

18

A lack of storage detracts from the R8's everyday usability, but the supple suspension, smooth gearbox and decent refinement with the sports exhaust switched off means it's comfortable. You sit lower than in a TT, and the car is wider, but the R8 is just as easy to manage at low speeds – much like its predecessor.