Start with what the Audi R8 4S is: a 2-door coupé / 2-door convertible (spyder) with 5.2 L V10 FSI, built from 2014 to 2024, as electrification stopped being an experiment and the crossover took every market. What it meant takes a little longer. The shape is credited to Florian Liese (2013) / Manu Müller (facelift, 2018).
Where it came from
The Audi R8 (Type 4S) is the second generation of the R8 sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Audi. The Type 4S is based on the Lamborghini Huracán and shares its platform and engine. The Type 4S was introduced at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and its production began in late 2014.
Under the skin
The engine is 5.2 L V10 FSI. On the scales it comes to 1695 kg. Drive goes through a 7-speed DL800 S-Tronic dual clutch. The wheelbase is 2650 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
In the Audi line-up the Audi R8 4S has a clear place: it replaced the Audi R8 (Type 42); the factory was Heilbronn (Audi Böllinger Höfe), Germany. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Infiniti Q50, the Ford Escort, the Chevrolet Camaro. Nearby in the Audi catalogue sit the Audi 200 and the Audi 225.
Owning one today
EPA combined economy is 17 mpg, about $5,150 a year in fuel at the EPA's assumptions. Condition, mileage and specification move any single car a long way from a headline figure.
Audi R8 
Audi R8