R8 Coupe

Make
Audi
Segment
Coupe

Everyone who loves cars would love to own a supercar, but the ridiculous pricing of these exotics makes them unattainable for most. But rather than settling for something generic and common, some people will try to build replicas of their favorite supercars. We've seen people make Ferraris out of wood and turn Porsches into McLarens, but while there are replicas of all sorts of expensive beauties, there are only two types: good and bad. A fake Lamborghini Gallardo we saw a couple of years ago falls into the former category, but today's replica of the Audi R8 falls into the latter. Can you guess what it actually is underneath its fancy dress?

We've seen a few Audi TTs that have been made to look like shrunken R8s in our time, but the replica you see before you is based on something even less conventional, namely a Toyota MR2. Listed on eBay, the replica was imported to Florida from the United Kingdom, and although it's pretty obvious that this isn't an R8 or even an Audi the more you look at it, there's a certain level of attention to detail that we can't help but admire, even if we'd never drive the car ourselves. For a start, the fake R8 wheels are pretty convincing and the aftermarket A4 headlights with their cheap daytime running lights are at least roughly the same shape as those of a real R8.

The Audi grille and custom bumper aren't terrible either, all things considered, and we're impressed by the clamshell hood and sculpted fenders. Moving back, the fake side blades look like they're made of, or at least skinned in, real carbon fiber. The intakes are also well-executed for a replica. At the rear, Mk2 Audi TT taillights sit above more fake vents and grilles, while a dual-exit exhaust and a smattering of Audi badges almost lend credibility to the concept. Inside, the MR2's interior has been retrimmed and features a tablet as an infotainment display. Overall, we're pretty impressed by this replica, even though we'd never be seen dead in it. Unfortunately for the seller, nobody else wants it either, and the eBay listing expired with a highest bid of $10,000, considerably less than the $25,000 that was asked for.