The Audi R8, a car rumored to either be discontinued or drastically changed in the next few years, holds the top spot as the most desired modern supercar, according to data collected from search engine inquiries. It joins models from Bugatti and Lamborghini as the most-searched supercars.
According to research into Google search inquiries by Veygo, a car insurance provider, the Audi R8 tops the list of most-searched modern supercars, beating out the Bugatti Chiron, Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Aventador and Lamborghini Veneno.
The runners up to these top five included the McLaren 675LT, Ford GT and the Ferrari 458, according to Veygo’s data.
When the Audi R8 debuted in the U.S. in 2007, it was like an enthusiast fever dream. Audi, which at the time was mostly known for luxury sedans and rally cars, showed up almost out of nowhere with a mid-engine, 4.2-liter V8 all-wheel drive supercar with modern looks and a gated manual, and it blew us all away.
Now late into its second generation, it looks like the R8 continues to leave an impression on people since it’s the most-searched production supercar from the last 10 years, according to this data. Veygo claims the R8 was the number one search in the category in 95 countries out of 165 studied.
It seems like this internet interest is also translating into sales, at least in the U.S. According to data from Car Sales Base, the R8 had its second-best sales year since its 2007 debut in 2018, with 927 cars sold. It’s best-ever year was 1,145 cars sold in the U.S. in 2011.
It’s also interesting to note that every other car on the top of this list also comes from a brand owned by Volkswagen Group, like Audi.
That has to be, in part, a testament to just how good former VW Group Chairman Ferdinand Piëch was at developing legacy supercar projects. Rumor has it Bugatti will even show off an $18 million customized Chiron in honor of Piëch at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Seems like he’s earned it.