Is the Audi R8 a good investment?

The thesis

The first-gen R8 V8 with gated six-speed manual is Audi's only naturally aspirated mid-engined supercar. The 4.2L V8 produces 420bhp, and the open-gate manual gearbox is the most desirable transmission. UK hammer prices for manual V8s range from £25k (high-mileage) to £50k (low-mileage, clean examples). Forum data from 2024 suggests clean, sub-50k-mile cars are trading around £35k–£40k, with the gated manual commanding significant premiums over R-Tronic. The car is early in its appreciation cycle—values have been stable for several years, but the manual gated R8 is increasingly recognized as a future classic as analogue supercars disappear.