For this coupe-only R8 Plus, that means the 5.2-litre V10 is cranked up to 542bhp, the ceramic brakes,
bucket seats and carbonfibre parts (like the front spoiler, rear diffuser and sideblades) trim away 50kg, and Plus-specific suspension means revised spring and damper rates. It’s £12k more than a standard 518bhp R8 V10, on which the seats and brakes alone are options worth £9500. Plus (sorry) it’s only 10bhp down on the outgoing limited-edition 552bhp R8 GT, but £20k cheaper. It’s almost a bargain.Moreover, the GT was handicapped by its sole gearbox option, a jerky automated manual. But that clunky R-tronic ’box has now been replaced (across the whole range) by a seven-speed twin-clutch S-tronic, and although the R8’s visual mid-life revisions are minor, a huge amount of work has gone on under the skin to make the new transmission fit. At £2900, the S-tronic is £2410 cheaper than its two-pedal predecessor, meaning even in the manual-mad UK just 18% of R8 customers will choose to shift with a stick. Shame.
The rest of the R8’s recipe remains as superb as ever. It’s sublimely balanced, four-wheel-drive ensuring impeccable traction, but with a rear-biased torque split so it never feels like all four tyres are being driven. There’s no switchable Drive Select system to corrupt the sweet steering and it’s both easy to drive slowly and rewarding to drive fast.
Statistics
How much? £127,575
On sale in the UK: Now
Engine: 5204cc 40v V10, 542bhp @ 8000rpm, 398lb ft @ 6500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch, four-wheel drive
Performance: 3.5sec 0-62mph, 197mph, 21.9mpg, 299g/km
How heavy / made of? 1595kg/aluminium
How big (length/width/height in mm)? 4440/1929/1252
Statistics
How much? £127,575
On sale in the UK: Now
Engine: 5204cc 40v V10, 542bhp @ 8000rpm, 398lb ft @ 6500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch, four-wheel drive
Performance: 3.5sec 0-62mph, 197mph, 21.9mpg, 299g/km
How heavy / made of? 1595kg/aluminium
How big (length/width/height in mm)? 4440/1929/1252
