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2014 Audi R8 officially on sale, starting at $114,900*

After skipping the 2013 model year, the Audi R8 is back for 2014 with a new look, added performance and a slightly higher starting price. In V8 coupe form, the 2014 R8 starts at $114,900 (*not including $1,250 for destination and a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax), but looking at that price, which has risen just $5,900 since the performance coupe first debuted in the US for 2008, inflation doesn't seem to have hit the R8 as hard as some other sports coupes - like, say, the Nissan GT-R.
Opting for the S tronic automatic gearbox will cost $9,100 for all models, while R8 V8 and R8 V10 models still offer the drop-top Spyder model for an extra $13,500. Not available in Spyder form, is the all-new 550-horsepower R8 V10 Plus, which starts at $170,545. Scroll down for the full pricing breakdown of the 2014 R8, which went on sale yesterday.

Next Audi R8 to eschew engine downsizing, go on diet instead

Looking across the Audi landscape, many models that used to get the company's high-revving, naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V8 are now powered by smaller, yet similarly powerful, forced-induction engines. From what Auto Express is reporting, though, the next-generation Audi R8 will not meet this same fate.
Rather than ditching its V8 and V10 powerplants, the next-gen R8 - expected to debut in 2015 - will shed pounds from its curb weight. The 2014 R8 currently weighs between 3,583 pounds and up to 3,957 pounds, but the report says that engineers are targeting a weight of less than 3,300 pounds. All models will get cylinder deactivation, which along with lower curb weights should help to improve fuel economy and emissions. Head on over to Auto Express for more reported information as well as a handful of renderings that take a stab at how the next R8 may look.

The 2017 Audi R8 Spyder starts at $176,350

Audi just revealed pricing info for the R8 Spyder, which will start at $176,350, about a year after revealing pricing information for the coupe ( which starts at $164,150 in base form; the Plus starts at $191,150). In case you haven't had your coffee yet, like-equipped base cars will span a $12,000 gulf. But the 2017 R8 Spyder costs about the same as the outgoing R8 Spyder V10 equipped with an automatic (which was at the time a very expensive option), so consider that minimal price inflation. The more interesting comparison is with its platform-mate, the Lamborghini Huracan. A drop-top version of the Italian supercar starts at $267,545 in similar AWD trim with a 5.2-liter V10. Now, it is true that the Huracan Spyder makes 602 horsepower, a 62 horsepower advantage over the standard R8 Spyder with the same engine (540 hp if you are bad at math). The Lambo also a tenth faster to 60 mph than the R8 Spyder, at 3.4 seconds. (The '17 R8 Spyder is itself a tenth quicker than its predecessor, so there's that.) But, the R8 V10 Plus makes 610 hp. We're waiting to hear back form Audi on pricing for that Spyder model. In the coupe, it's a $27,000 increase over the base R8 V10. That logic would peg an R8 Spyder V10 Plus at around $203,000, or $64k less than the Huracan. In either case, you're paying a lot for Lamborghini's unique styling and tuning, although it's hard to put a price on the specialness of driving a Lamborghini. The Huracan Spyder never for a moment lets you forget you're in something fast and Italian. That being said, both are legitimate supercars. The R8 Spyder was developed alongside its Italian cousin, and features an appropriately large amount of aluminum and carbon fiber materials in its construction. Of course, like its coupe counterpart, there's no manual available for the new R8 Spyder. That died with the previous generation. The good news, for fans of open-air driving, is that the roof mechanism only adds 97 lbs to the weight of the car, and Audi kept the electrohydraulics that actuate it as low as possible. If it's anything like the Coupe to drive, and you can be sure since it's an Audi there won't be much trade-off for the open roof, it'll have a dual personality that will accommodate both daily driving and occasional track use. Sounds like a deal, huh? Related Video: Audi Convertible Luxury Performance Supercars r8 spyder r8 huracan