The Audi R8 V10 RWS – for ‘rear-wheel series’ – was a special limited-edition, rear-wheel drive R8 launched way back at the start of 2018. The first rear-wheel drive, road-going Audi in living memory – just 999 were built.

It was cheaper and lighter than the four-wheel drive car, and precious slower even though it used the 533bhp non-Plus tune of the fabulous nat-asp V10. It was still the one to have.

(If it's nat-asp V10 thrills you're after, click HERE to read about a pair of V10 R8 Spyders)

Which is why it’s really very good news indeed that the rear-wheel drive R8 is back, this time as a proper part of the line-up.

Now called the R8 V10 RWD, it’s available as either a Coupe or Spyder and uses the same 533bhp V10 as the old RWS and non-Plus all-wheel drive R8.

(Click HERE to read about a manual R8)

It takes the Coupe 3.7secs to reach 100km/h, and the Spyder 3.8secs. They top out at 318 and 317km/h respectively.

Like the AWD it uses a 7spd DCT. There’s a locking diff on the rear-axle, which along with recalibrated ESC allows “controlled drifting”. The Coupe is 65kg lighter than the AWD car, and the Spyder 55kg lighter than its all-wheel drive equivalent.

STORY Tom Harrison