It’s not cheap, but initial buyers will probably be well off enough not to worry too much about purchase price. 20mpg, high insurance costs and expensive servicing are other factors that will be worth enduring to be one of the few owners of an R8 in the UK. The Audi should be a slow depreciator too, able to retain about half of its original price after three years.

Remember you’ll still be losing around £40,000 though.

With its large 4.2-litre petrol engine and average fuel consumption figure of just 20mpg, it’s no surprise that the R8 performs badly on the eco front. It emits 332g/km CO2, which although is about average for a sports coupé, is exceptionally poor compared to the average family car. The V10 is significantly more powerful, but economy remains similar at 19mpg, while emissions rise to 351g/km of CO2.

Opting for the R Tronic actually sees this drop to 327g/km of CO2. Post-2012 cars have better emissions but none are what you would call green. The V8 is the best of the lot with CO2 emissions of 294g/km.

The R8 has been thoroughly developed, and should have no more problems with reliability than any other Audi model. Ensure it is serviced according to schedule, and no major problems should arise.