2022 Audi R8 V10 Performance Spyder RWD Review: Supercar Swiss Army Knife
The Audi R8 is a supercar swiss army knife.
It’s a V10-powered supercar, yet it’s no harder to drive than a base A3. It’s staggering how a car that is so capable can so easily double as a comfortable daily driver. The R8 is all about striking a balance. It’s fast but not terrifying, loud but not deafening, and above all else, approachable for most people. It won’t set track records or hit the quickest runs to 60, and it’s all the better for it.
There are plenty of other supercars for that. Thanks to turbocharging and electrified powertrains, almost every new six-figure exotic exceeds what’s enjoyable on a public road. The R8 then takes a different approach, focusing on enjoyment rather than all-out performance.
This 2022 Audi R8 V10 Performance Spyder RWD may just be the best of the bunch. With a naturally aspirated engine in the middle, power going to the rear wheels, and a retractable roof, it has the makings of a proper supercar. However, in its efforts to please, it doesn’t shine in any particular area. The R8 is excellent at many things but the best at none.
Design/Styling
Thanks to a mid-cycle refresh for the 2019 model year, the second-gen Audi R8 is aging well. Significant updates to its front and rear bumpers, such as an aggressive front grille, sharp front blades, and a reworked rear diffuser, help push its design into proper supercar territory. It’s not that the pre-facelift model was ugly by any means, but the R8 is a halo car, and the older model played it way too safe with its styling.
The RWD Spyder also gets unique details to serve as quick visual cues that you’re looking at the rear-drive variant. Those updates mentioned above added in the facelift now feature gloss black paint as standard, giving this variant a sleeker look. 20-in five-spoke wheels come standard wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, although a same-size titanium double spoke set is also available.
For now, the V10 Performance RWD is the cheapest drop-top R8 available, benefiting from a massive $52,600 discount compared to its AWD equivalent. However, you’d be hard-pressed to tell from a visual aspect. Even this “entry” level R8 looks almost indistinguishable from its pricey sibling, only separated by minor aero and color changes. Audi doesn’t make you pay up to get the best looks out of your six-figure supercar. However, saving the cash does bring massive upsides in the driving department.
Performance/Handling
Previous versions of the AWD Audi R8 established themselves as some of the most approachable supercars. They put down power so well that minimal driver effort translated into immense speed. This allowed owners to quickly build confidence behind the wheel, knowing their sports car wouldn’t bite back. But, while the older R8s handed your their limits on a silver platter, they were far from the most exciting options in their segment.
Flash forward, and this latest 2022 Audi R8 V10 Performance Spyder RWD is a different story. It still counts on the same naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter Lamborghini-sourced V10, but it now develops 562 horsepower and 406 foot-pounds of torque. All that power goes to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. On paper, that’s good for a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 204 mph.
Like its predecessors, the RWD Spyder’s power output is approachable. While peak power lives at a whopping 8,000 rpm, the ride up there is smooth and progressive. Unlike its Lamborghini sibling, the revs don’t just spike to redline. Instead, the R8 revs slowly, allowing for a proper build-up, urging its driver to work harder to extract power while rewarding them with endless V10 noises. Sure this translates into a supercar that’s far from the quickest. But while you give up the industry standard turbo shove and swoosh noises, you’re rewarded with drama and speed that’s exciting, not terrifying.
Don’t, for a second, however, believe that the RWD Spyder is either a slouch or dull to drive. Thanks to the loss of a front differential, drive shafts, and a substantial amount of weight, this rear-drive R8 comes alive in the corners. After just a few turns on a canyon road, it was evident that the RWD Spyder is likely the most enjoyable variant in the lineup. Its front end is now significantly more agile, and with quick steering to match, this R8 goes precisely where you point it without even a whiff of understeer.
As mentioned earlier, this RWD Spyder comes at a steep discount compared to its all-wheel drive equivalent. One of the most significant indicators of that cost difference is the lack of adaptive dampers. Rear-drive R8’s all come with fixed dampers, and from the driver’s seat, that’s a loss most owners won’t notice. That’s because this R8 is nicely suited for both canyons and around-town driving. Stable enough for a twisty road without being too stiff to handle road imperfections, this suspension setup strikes a nice balance.
With the top up, it’s tough to tell you’re in a convertible at all. There’s plenty of headroom, excellent visibility, and the cabin remains surprisingly quiet at highway speeds. Retract its roof, and you’re immediately rewarded with all the noise you’d want from the optional $3,600 exhaust system.
While Spyder is heavier thanks to added structural rigidity by 276 lb, it doesn’t feel so on the road. This isn’t to say it feels light. It’s just that all R8 variants feel relatively heavy, so there is no added penalty here. Thankfully, the heft means this car is stiff. There are no noticeable shakes over imperfections on the road, swaying me away from the coupe as my ideal pick.
Interior/Tech
Inside, the Audi R8 feels like a well-built premium product. It may share some switches and buttons with lower-priced models, but its dashboard layout is unique. As I learned in my recent Bugatti Chiron Super Sport drive, omitting a screen in the dash should help this interior age well, as tech elements are often some of the first to show their age in a car.
Like the French hypercar, the Audi R8 counts on a single 12.3-in digital instrument cluster in front of the driver for all vital info ranging from drive data to its infotainment system. It offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, but its integration is far from ideal. Plug your phone in, and the cluster morphs, popping up the smartphone-based system as a rectangle in the center of the screen, pushing pertinent drive data to the sides. It’s far from pretty, but it works.
The R8’s 18-way adjustable chairs do an excellent job of holding you in place through the corners but retain more than enough comfort for a long drive. Like the rest of the car, the seats strike a nice balance between sporty and comfortable. Our tester’s ultra-bright Express Red leather interior commands attention, especially with the top down. Significant elements such as the dashboard, wheel, and center console feature contrasting black leather to tone things down.
While the Audi R8 is mechanically similar to the Lamborghini Huracan, the two are ergonomically quite different. Whereas the Italian supercar feels cramped, tight, and claustrophobic, the Audi has an open-air feeling, with plenty of visibility, headroom, and available space for passengers. The R8 makes better use of the available space. These differences mean the R8 is more than just a car for special occasions. It’s up to virtually any daily-driving task.
As mentioned earlier, the R8 is surprisingly quiet with its fabric top in place. It takes 20 seconds to retract and can do so at up to 31 mph. The whole thing weighs only 97 pounds contributing to the Spyder’s relatively low weight gain.
Pricing
Starting at $160,900 plus a $1,495 destination charge, the 2022 Audi R8 V10 Performance Spyder RWD is the cheapest convertible variant available. Stepping up to its all-wheel-drive sibling and its improved capabilities and power will cost an additional $52,600 for a total of ($213,500). That places the Audi in Lamborghini pricing territory. A “base” Huracan EVO RWD Spyder comes in at $229,428 and has more power, sounds, and a raging bull in its badge, although it loses AWD.
Our tester, however, was far from base. Thanks to notable options such as the carbon exterior package ($4,800), premium package ($4,500), sport exhaust package ($3,600), and carbon interior package ($3,400) to name a few, this particular R8 costs $189,690. Pricing-wise, this aligns it with a comparable Porsche 911 or Aston Martin Vantage. However, unlike its competitors, it’s the only one with its engine in the middle and a naturally aspirated one at that.
Final Thoughts
The 2022 Audi R8 V10 Performance Spyder RWD is a wonderful sports car; quick, comfortable, enjoyable, and stunning to look at. It ticks most boxes for most people. It may not be the quickest or most capable mid-engined machine, but it rewards its driver with a fun experience, precisely what it should do.
This is the type of car for an early morning Sunday drive. The kind of car you can carry a blazing pace with as its engine sings with the top down. The R8 is all about enjoyment without terror. As its closest competitors dive deeper into one-upping each other by mere tenths of a second, the R8 is one of the last modern supercars that genuinely focuses on the driving experience above all else. It’s not the best at any one thing because it doesn’t need to be. That’s its charm.
2022 BMW M5 CS Review: M Performance At Its Best
by Gabriel Vega
Since its introduction in 1985, the BMW M5 has stepped on the toes of giants. Quicker than a supercar in a straight line and agile enough to keep up in the corners, but with enough room for a family, the M5 is a sports sedan swiss army knife. However, as the decades pass, raising that bar has required bending the laws of physics and morphing our perception of what a big-body sedan can do. With its latest attempt, BMW pushes these boundaries even further, producing the quickest and most powerful car ever.
It’s called the BMW M5 CS, which stands for “competition sport,” and it’s what you get when you take an M5 Competition, boost power, upgrade its suspension, and reduce weight. On the street, this car is nothing short of an apex predator. No Lamborghini, Ferrari, or McLaren is safe on a canyon road. After a week behind the wheel, numerous minor changes add up to a driving experience that confirms that the M5 CS is BMW M at its best.
Styling/Design
The “standard” BMW M5 is already a distinctive sedan with its flared wheel arches, quad exhaust tips, and aggressive body lines. The M5 CS dials things up by focusing on the details. Bronze finished details replace the typical chrome bits around the kidney grilles, side markers, and badges. These complement a set of standard 20-inch forged wheels wearing the same shade of paint.
Unlike the standard car, the CS is only available in three finishes, Brands Hatch Gray Metallic, Frozen Deep Green Metallic, and Frozen Brands Hatch Gray Metallic. Our matte gray tester absorbed light beautifully, which made it a peach to photograph and allowed all of its bronze details to shine. To the untrained eye, it’s just another fast BMW, but those who pause for a closer look can quickly tell they’re looking at the special one.
The M5 CS isn’t just marginally lighter than an M5 Competition. Its 230-lb diet is significant. This is mainly due to the extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. Large items such as the hood, front splitter, rear diffuser, and roof feature the material utilizing a mixture of the body color and unpainted carbon fiber. Alone the changes are small, but together they add up to significant weight savings.
In front, the headlight design remains the same. However, the CS gets LEDs that feature yellow accents during the day and switch to white at night. While BMW cites these lights as “racing-inspired,” their true benefit is how well they match up with the car’s plentiful bronze accent pieces.
You’d be wrong if you thought BMW was done adding bronze pieces. That’s because the quad-exhaust setup also features the color and genuinely shines in the sunlight. BMW could’ve easily slapped a CS badge on a normal-looking M5, but their extensive changes add up to a sports sedan that looks truly unique.
Performance/Handling
While the BMW M5 CS is a lovely thing to look at, it’s far better to drive. As mentioned in the intro, it’s the brand’s quickest and most powerful production vehicle ever. Its twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 delivers a supercar-slaying 627 horsepower and 553 foot-pounds of torque. It puts that power down to all four wheels via an eight-speed Steptronic transmission and a rear-biased AWD system. As it fully uses its output, it sprints to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and continues onto a top speed of 190 mph.
The CS feels even quicker on the road than its stats suggest. Peak torque comes at a very low 1,800 rpm, allowing you to rocket out of corners and instantly pick up the pace on the open road. Turbo lag remains virtually nonexistent as the M5’s engine remains eager to rev. As you work your way up the RPMs, those quad exhaust tips start to sing their guttural, although thanks to over insulation, most of what you get inside the cabin comes through the car’s speakers.
In 4WD Sport mode, the M5 CS sends most of its power to the rear wheels with minimal to the front. The grip is immense. Unlike some of its closest competitors, it doesn’t default to understeer as you test its limits. Switch over to 2WD, and all power goes to its back wheels, allowing the rear to rotate when provoked.
Our tester benefitted by not having the optional Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, which have historically needed quite a significant pace to get up to temperature. Instead, it wore a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S shoes that delivered all the on-road drivability and grip required for a quick canyon drive.
Aside from just clinging on for dear life, the M5 CS remained totally planted and neutral as we chucked it into corners. Despite tipping the scales at 4,114 lb, body roll was virtually nonexistent. BMW’s main improvements for the CS include 10 percent stiffer springs, 0.2-in lower ride height, increased front negative camber, and firmer anti-roll bar and toe link ball-joint mounts. The result is a car has incredible front-end agility. Point and the CS will follow.
However, like many modern sports sedans, this is a double-edged sword. The M5 CS is a massively capable machine, but it’s a victim of its success. It’s so easy to drive at brain-melting speeds that there isn’t much driver involvement. Sure its steering is heavy, but it doesn’t communicate much, and with Mercedes S-Class levels of sound isolation, there isn’t much natural sound for your ears either. You don’t wrestle this car around corners. You’re more so along for the ride.
Thankfully, when it’s time to stop, the M5 CS serves up tons of stopping power from its standard carbon ceramic brakes. They may take a bit to warm up, but once they’re up to temperature, there’s a solid initial bite that doesn’t let up. Thanks to generous pedal travel, they’re easy to modulate as well. Even around town, they don’t prove too eager to stop. Despite their high performance, they’re more than up to daily duties.
So far, the M5 CS has proven a capable canyon carver, but it hasn’t forgotten its luxury sedan nature. Around Los Angeles, even its stiffened suspension soaked up bumps, well, all things considered. Perhaps even better than the X4 M Competition we tested a few months ago. Leave it in its normal mode, and this large executive supercar hunter is equally happy on a drive to the office as it is up in the canyons.
Interior/Tech
Inside, the BMW M5 CS sets itself apart as it’s the only model variant to feature four bucket seats. Although you lose one seat in the second row, all your passengers will remain in place as you pick up the pace. Surprisingly, even these aggressive chairs proved more comfortable in the CS than in the M4 Competition we tested a few weeks ago. The larger door opening makes ingress and egress old-folk-friendly. While they’re still stiff as rocks, they’re tolerable for a quick daily drive.
Just like with the exterior finish, the CS’ cabin features few available options. All cars feature a combination of black leather and Alcantara with contrasting red accents. Like the exterior, there’s plenty of carbon fiber reinforced plastic in the dashboard, center console, door cards, and on the seats themselves. At no point does the CS let you forget you sprung for the special model, a major upside considering its price tag. More on that later.
The rest of the cabin is standard M5. You get the same digital instrument cluster, infotainment screen, and smartphone connectivity (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.) Since the base car nails these basics and build quality is on par for the segment, there’s not much to report here. If anything, we wish BMW had taken a Porsche 911 R approach and removed sound deadening to increase driver involvement. For those looking for a purely luxurious experience, there’s the standard M5, but this is the CS. Let it have its own personality.
Pricing
The 2022 BMW M5 CS has a base price of $142,00 plus $995 for destination charges. However, they’re limited to one model year, and they’re all sold as the model year comes to a close. According to BMW, there isn’t a limited number of these cars out there, so we’ll have to wait and see just how many they actually produced. Given the limited amount of available options, our tester has an as-tested price of $148,995.
Closing Thoughts
The more miles we racked up on our M5 CS tester, the clearer it was just how much of an engineering achievement it was. As a sports sedan, it is a master class on how to build a capable supercar slayer. It’s quick, composed, and outrageously easy to drive. It is a genuine canyon carver despite its size and weight. The CS is light on its feet in ways its competitors aren’t.
However, as a driving experience, the M5 CS isn’t as electrifying as we had hoped. Given its clever suspension updates and extensive use of lightweight materials, we really expected this car to set our hair on fire. All things considered, though, the M5 CS achieves precisely what it sets out to do, deliver tons of performance for the price with on-road capabilities that’ll leave exotic car buyers wondering why they spent so much just to see the CS’ tail lights.
Tags: 2022 ReviewsFeatured
2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport First Drive
by Gabriel Vega
in Bugatti News, Chiron Super Sport, Reviews
If it feels like we get a new hypercar unveiled every other week, it is because we damn near do. Manufacturers bank on more successfully selling a few cars for a lot than a ton of cars for less. For the most part, these seven-figure machines follow a similar formula. Big power, outrageous performance stats, and sleek styling with clever aero. All good things, except with so many new special editions debuting back to back, hardly any of them genuinely are anymore.
French carmaker Bugatti sits at the other end of the spectrum as a whale in the small pond. It essentially created the modern hypercar space with the introduction of the Veyron back in 2005. Since then, it has continued to push the bar higher the only way it knows how by over-engineering its cars to unbelievable degrees. It is the only carmaker to offer a W16 engine, one of few to produce more than a few dozen units, and perhaps the only brand to produce a hypercar that’s genuinely usable by almost anyone.
We recently went out to Malibu to get behind the wheel of one of its latest creations, the 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, for an afternoon coastal drive. Although our route was relatively short, it was enough to learn that the Super Sport is not only outrageously quick but that it also looks absolutely stunning in the California sunshine.
The Chiron Super Sport is an imposing vehicle. At 7.4 inches longer than a standard Chiron, the Super Sport sets itself apart with its lengthened tail. Since most of the added bodywork lives at the car’s rear, it also slightly shifts its weight distribution further back. Before we stepped in, the folks from Bugatti urged us to treat it like we would a Porsche 911.
The second note was around the car’s positioning within the lineup. The Super Sport is all about top speed. Its styling revolves entirely around high-speed stability and reducing lift as it approaches its 273 mph limit. It also doubles as a GT car, while the Pur Sport sits at the top of the food chain as the track-focused variant.
Styling-wise, the Super Sport is the sleekest Chiron yet. Thanks to its lengthened bodywork, it benefits from a more streamlined design that flows quite well and retains excellent proportions, given the car’s size. The goal behind the long tail is to keep the air flowing over the car attached to the bodywork as long as possible while simultaneously reducing drag. Unfortunately, a drive through the California coastline was not enough to put this to the test, so we will have to take Bugatti’s word on it.
Step closer, and the Super Sport rewards with intricate styling details, such as the nine exhaust holes in the front fenders that aid in reducing air pressure from the front wheels. Even the headlights are slightly inclined, flanked by modified lower intakes that help channel air evenly into the front wheel arches and flow out via new outlets just behind them. The Super Sport may appear quite similar to a standard Chiron, but a detailed look reveals far more differences than similarities.
The rear end is a similar story where the Super Sport wears a new set of stacked exhaust tips housed in an aggressive diffuser. An active rear spoiler remains hidden in its tail until summoned at higher speeds. It dips back down as you go for top-speed runs to reduce as much drag as possible. Five-spoke lightweight wheels come standard, although the Pur Sport’s magnesium wheels are available as an option.
After a thorough look at the car, it was time to drive. Fittingly for a Los Angeles afternoon, we started in slow-moving traffic, an ideal scenario while covering our first miles in a 1,578 hp 1,180 lb-ft vehicle that costs $4.3 million as tested. Even at crawling speeds, the Super Sport’s 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 delivered a noticeably louder growl than a “standard” Chiron. It emits a deep, low-frequency tone supplemented by endless wooshing turbo noises. It is an experience for its driver as well as everyone around. As we inched through the gridlock, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission delivered smooth, quick, and seemingly imperceptible gear changes.
During this first portion of the drive, the Super Sport may have well been any other modern car. It proved surprisingly easy to drive and almost faded to the background. It was surprisingly easy to forget we were in a hypercar. As traffic thinned out and our speed increased, that sentiment quickly changed. Unlike the Pininfarina Battista we tested before, the Chiron does not limit power as we move through its various drive settings. It offers up full power all of the time.
Also Read: Pininfarina Battista First Drive Review: More Hyper Than GT
One flick of the left paddle was all it took, and the Super Sport was ready to stretch its legs. It will hit 62 mph in 2.4 seconds flat out, but that is not even the most impressive part. We pinned the pedal to the floor at around 60 mph, and after a whiff of turbo lag, we took off, blasting deep into three-figure speeds in mere seconds. Despite the figures climbing in the Chiron’s semi-digital dash, the Super Sport remained unbothered. Comparatively, other hypercars with similar outputs will get squiggly as the sheer might of the engine tries to rip the tires off the wheels. However, this Bugatti replaces terror with confidence, urging its drive to push deeper into triple-digit speeds.
The Super Sport remained a willing dance partner as the road got twisty. Despite its 4,398 curb weight, it is light on its feet. There is tons of front-end agility, and with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires on all four corners, it remained stable and offered tremendous grip. If anything, the Chiron’s most significant drawback is that it is too composed and a bit anti-climactic. Sure its straight-line speed is heart-stoppingly quick, but the Super Sport does not require its driver to work for it, reducing overall driver involvement.
Inside, the Chiron Super Sport is by far the best-built vehicle we have tested thus far. With not even a stitch out of place, the carbon-fiber and leather-filled interior defines what a premium cabin should be. While two screens flank the central analog tachometer, their graphics are limited and closely tied to the rest of the interior’s overall theme. The lack of overt tech also carries on to the dashboard’s center, which is missing the industry-standard screen and infotainment system. According to Bugatti, this is to prevent the cabin from appearing aged prematurely.
Comfort-wise, Bugatti offers a standard and wide seat. Our tester featured the standard seat, which offered plenty of comfort and support but was slightly stiffer than expected. Regardless, the Chiron Super Sport joins the lineup as yet another daily-drivable hypercar, although unfortunately, most of these cars will hardly rack up miles throughout their extensive lifespans.
The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is part of the Chiron’s total production run of 500 units. The vehicle we tested came in at $4.3 million thanks to extensive carbon-fiber options. The French carmaker is expected to build a total of 60 units plus an additional 30 units of the Super Sport 300+.
Built for a corner of the market that can have anything they want, the Chiron Super Sport sets itself apart by banking on how it makes you feel. From its ominous look to its sculpted interior, the Chiron is an experience from the moment you lay your eyes on it.
As a high-speed GT car, the Super Sport defines its segment. Given its size, the fact that it still accelerates, stops, and steers as well as it does is a testament to its extensive engineering. While it was not the most electrifying driving experience, a hyper GT car does not need to be. In a world where its list of competitors seems to grow weekly, the Super Sport excels at what it was designed to do by delivering excessive speed wrapped in a stunning shape with enough road presence to remind all newcomers who invented the segment nearly two decades ago.
Images via Bugatti
