Leszek Szelest/Getty ImagesThe Audi R8 was first revealed at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, and it immediately grabbed headlines due to its futuristic design. The R8 was facelifted not long after and got a naturally aspirated V10 as the top of its range — essentially the same engine shared with Lamborghini's second-generation Gallardo. An all-new R8 generation arrived in 2015, which only relied on the V10, and was discontinued in 2024. Although rumors do exist that the R8 may return, in the meantime, we did get the 2027 Audi Nuvolari – a limited-edition supercar that also shares its underpinning with a Lambo, the Temerario in this case.Since the R8 is a supercar and you can't buy one new anymore, you'd think that its depreciation numbers are better than most cars out there — and you'd be right, but with a caveat. According to iSeeCars, the Audi R8 retains about 63.8% of its value after five years, implying a 36.2% depreciation. But that's just an average across the model as a whole. If you dig into individual sources and trims, the picture splits: Some 2021 R8 variants have held their value or even appreciated in the last five years, while the priciest trims have lost tens of thousands of dollars. Since the R8's value projections are all over the place, and the exact figures vary depending on the source, trim, and mileage, a deeper look into the 2021 Audi R8's depreciation is necessary.Read more: These Are The Cars That Let You Down The HardestAn overview of the R8's depreciation across trimsLeszek Szelest/Getty ImagesKelley Blue Book (KBB) currently lists a fair price of $152,000 for the rear-wheel-drive 2021 R8 V10 Coupe, compared with an original MSRP of $145,895, which includes the destination charge (something other assessments do not). This means that a typical example has actually appreciated over its original base price. On the other hand, the more expensive all-wheel-drive V10 Performance Coupe tells a different story, falling from $199,895 when new to a KBB fair purchase price of $164,000 — a decline of roughly $35,900, or 18%. The AWD 2021 V10 Performance Spyder convertible fares even worse: It cost $211,295 new, and it's now priced at $165,000 — a drop of $46,295, or about 21.9%. AdvertisementAdvertisementJ.D. Power paints a similar picture for the RWD Coupe model as KBB does. It puts its average retail value at $148,500 against a $142,700 original MSRP without destination, while the AWD V10 Performance Coupe has an average retail value of $171,800 versus its original $196,700 base price. This represents a depreciation of around 13%, while the AWD V10 Performance Spyder's $208,100 new price depreciated to about $148,500 — a drop of $59,600, or roughly 28.6%. Then there's Edmunds, whose estimates are considerably lower. The site values a clean RWD Coupe at about $113,300 in a private-party sale, while the Performance Coupe is valued at about $158,800. However, those estimates assume 12,000 miles of driving per year, which would leave a five-year-old R8 with around 60,000 miles — unusually high for a car like the R8. When we sum up these numbers and calculate an overall average, a 2021 car losing around 20% of its value does not say a lot by itself. However, when compared to some 2021 EVs that have depreciated up to 63.1% in the same time span, it becomes clear the R8 is actually holding up quite well.What's behind the R8's depreciation numbers?Vivid Brands/ShutterstockiSeeCars puts the average five-year depreciation rate for all vehicles at around 41.8%, meaning that the average car today loses value roughly twice as quickly as the R8. The RWD Coupe is the strongest performer here, as it actually managed to appreciate over time, which is not something you can say for any other R8 variant. Audi didn't make the RWD Audi R8 a permanent part of the lineup until 2021. The RWD Coupe is also the lightest one of the bunch, weighing around 300 pounds less than the Performance Spyder variant. Audi also offered two special versions of the R8 in 2021: the R8 Green Hell Edition, and the Panther Edition, both of which are extremely limited.But although these assessments can provide ballpark numbers, they can never truly capture what the real market is doing. Edmunds listings of used 2021 Audi R8s average at around $187,000 as of this writing, with many examples sitting in the 15,000-mile range, while AutoTrader puts the national average for the R8 at $172,500. Both are higher than most of the estimates cited above, though these figures include non-standard variants and special editions. Also keep in mind that cars rarely sell for their full asking price, and any potential dealer fees aren't included. The Audi R8 was a legend from the start, and chances are that we are never going to see the likes of it again, at least not with a naturally-aspirated V10.AdvertisementAdvertisementWant more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and follow us or add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Jalopnik.
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