Passion
Drive an R8 RWS in the dry and you might wonder if it actually feels all that different to its quattro equivalent. That changes the moment you meet a wet, greasy road, not because the RWS feels spiky or ill-tempered, but simply due to the fact you can feel the rear of the car moving around a lot more as all that power floods through two tyres rather than four.
As such, like an Aston Martin V12 Vantage S manual or a Renaultsport Megane R26.R, the RWS is a car aimed at those who don’t mind working that bit harder to reap the rich rewards on offer. A purist supercar, if you like.
If that’s not passion enough, remember that the R8’s V10 is one of the last naturally aspirated supercar engines on offer, and delivers all the sharp response and sonic richness you could ever hope. That Audi sells this car for almost £14,000 less than a standard R8 is merely the icing on the most deliciously tempting of cakes.
Price: £112,450 (£114,170 as tested)