The car is exclusively designed, developed, and manufactured by Audi AG's private subsidiary company manufacturing high performance automotive parts, Audi Sport GmbH (formerly quattro GmbH),[4] and is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo and presently the Huracán platform.

An all-electric version called the e-Tron started development but would only reach production stage when the second generation model would be introduced.

[10][11][12] The second generation of the R8 (model code: Type 4S) was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and is based on the Modular Sports System platform shared with the Lamborghini Huracán.

The newer and more aggressive design language carried over from famous Audi models of the past and its appearance is slightly more angular up front.

Unlike the earlier 2010 prototype based on the first-generation R8, it actually entered production, but only on a small scale, with less than 100 units sold.

[2] Ninety-five lasers inspect the entire car in five seconds to ensure that over 220 measurements are within 0.1 millimetres of the programmed plans.

[17] The R8 became the personal vehicle for Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) throughout six films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.