The R8 has a strong complement of safety features with front and side airbags, electronic stability control and traction control. The quattro all-wheel drive system aids traction in difficult road conditions. With no engine in the front, it should offer better than average protection for pedestrians unfortunate enough to stray into its path.

People tend not to buy high-performance sports cars as their only car, so practicality doesn’t have to be a high priority when it comes to designing them. There is one 100-litre luggage compartment at the front which is slightly less than a Porsche 911. Audi claims the shelf behind the rear seats can accommodate two golf bags – a feat that would seem difficult to achieve in practice unless the seats were set quite far forward – and the bags in question were perhaps minus the clubs.

The standard fuel tank is 75-litres, but a 90-litre tank can be chosen as an option which would offer a useful extension in the car’s touring range.