Audi R8 interior
The Audi R8’s cabin feels solid and comes with a decent amount of tech as standard but it just doesn’t look as exciting as the interiors you get in some less well-organised alternatives.
Style
Unlike some supercars, the Audi R8 doesn’t try to feel like a racing car inside. Sure, you sit so close to the ground you can see under most HGV trailers, but glance down into the cockpit of this ground-hugging sportscar and you’ll notice it all feels very smart, very sensible and, well, very Audi.
The dashboard sweeps elegantly across the cabin without any incongruous hexagonal graphics like you get in a Lamborghini Huracan and the three simple heating and ventilation dials are far more intuitive than the touchscreen controls you get in a McLaren 570S.
In fact, the Audi R8 does without any kind of touchscreen infotainment system – instead, you get a digital driver’s display like in the Audi TT. Its customisable graphics aren’t quite as flashy as those in the Lamborghini Huracan but the system itself is just as intuitive.
The rest of the cabin is equally easy to use. Everything from the electrically adjustable sports seats to the drive select button on the flat-bottomed steering wheel all makes perfect sense and everything you’ll touch feels plush and superbly well built. The only real downside to the Audi R8’s impeccable interior is that it doesn’t feel as dramatic as the less sensibly laid-out interiors you get in a McLaren 570S or Lamborghini Huracan.
The R8’s cabin looks and feels lovely, but it’s a shame that many of its once headline-grabbing features can now be found across the rest of the Audi range.
- Cash
- £123,443
- Monthly
- £1,655*
Infotainment
Unlike almost every other upmarket car on sale, the Audi R8 has no touchscreen infotainment system. Instead, you get a 12-inch digital driver’s display in place of conventional analogue dials in front of the steering wheel.
Through this, you’ll control all of the car’s onboard features, from programming the satellite navigation to selecting which drive mode you want the car to be in. It’s all dead easy to use and you can scroll through the various menus using either the rotary dial on the centre console or handy buttons on the steering wheel.
Sure, inputting an address into the standard sat-nav system isn’t quite as easy as using an on-screen keyboard like in the Mclaren 570S, but once you’re on the move the Audi’s widescreen google maps imagery puts the Mclaren’s graphics to shame.
If you aren’t a fan of Audi’s own system, you can pair your Apple or Android phone using the standard smartphone mirroring feature and use your preferred navigation app instead. Unlike most Audi models, the smartphone mirroring display appears within the Virtual Cockpit system itself, letting you control apps such as Waze, Google Maps and Spotify using the buttons on the steering wheel.
You also get a wireless smartphone charging pad and Audi’s signal box feature which boosts your phone’s signal as standard. You can also pay extra to have the standard stereo replaced by a beefier Bang & Olufsen unit – well worth considering if you’re serious about sound quality.
- Cash
- £123,443
- Monthly
- £1,655*
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*Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term and 8000 miles annually, VAT included.