The Audi R8 is a unique car in the automaker’s lineup. The company has long made performance coupes and sedans, but a mid-engine supercar is off the beaten path for Audi. The R8 offers blazing performance from a V10 engine and a supercar price tag to match its performance numbers.

Audi offers the R8 as a coupe and a convertible. The standard car gets rear-wheel drive (RWD), but an R8 Performance version is available for both coupe and drop-top models. If offers all-wheel drive (AWD), more power, and upgraded features.

Audi gave the R8 a power boost for 2022. The mid-mounted 5.2-liter V10 is now rated at 562 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque (up from the previous 532 hp and 398 lb-ft). A performance model is available that pumps out 602 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. Both cars get a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard kit. That powertrain is potent enough to propel the R8 to an estimated 0-60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds. The performance models should be able to hit that target even more quickly, at around 3.3 seconds.

Audi’s Virtual Cockpit is standard for all R8 models, which projects information from the infotainment system and other vehicle data into the gauge cluster for less driver distraction. Elsewhere, the car gets dual-zone automatic climate controls, an LED interior lighting package, Nappa leather upholstery, heated seats, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and a rearview camera. A $7,400 Premium package is available that adds a Bang & Olufsen 13-speaker sound system and interior trim updates.

Audi offers very little in the way of standard driver aids for the R8. They include a parking assist system, LED headlights and daytime running lights, and high-beam assist. Audi Laser Light headlights are available for an extra $3,500, but no other safety aids are offered.

The 2021 Audi R8 Coupe starts at $147,995, which includes a $1,495 destination charge. Audi offers several upgrades for the R8, which can push that number even higher. They include a $5,000 diamond-stitch leather package, a $5,600 carbon-fiber exterior trim package, $700 red brake calipers, a $3,400 carbon-fiber interior trim package, and a $3,000 full leather package.