Audi R8 left abandoned and rotting for 5 years gets heroic restoration

Should someone have to go to jail for abandoning an Audi R8 for five years?

That’s what the comments on WD Detailing’s latest video reckon.

The repair shop received a tip-off that there was an R8 Spyder gathering dust and leaves in a barn.

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They managed to track the owner down and he let them pull off the mother of all restorations on it.

WD Detailing has made a name for itself as the ultimate restoration shop in Ohio.

The owners recently found a seemingly abandoned Audi R8 Spyder nearby.

The owner agreed to let them restore it and make an epic and deeply satisfying video of the process, too.

The Audi R8 was buried under cobwebs and leaves while the windows were down and the interior was covered in mould.

There were several reasons why the owner left such a beautiful car to rot.

A combination of moving house, COVID, having too many other ‘toys’, and a faulty battery meant this car was left sitting for five whole years.

The comments were full of incredulous people, wondering how such an expensive car could slip someone’s mind.

“Most cars have loose change under the seats when you remove them. Did this one have any loose 1oz bars of gold?” one commenter said.

While it’s certainly an unfathomable move, it’s not completely unheard of.

Earlier this year, an abandoned Lamborghini Countach was found in Dubai.

And WD Detailing recently restored a Datsun 260Z that had been left standing for 22 years.

Wagner and his team loaded their latest find onto a trailer and took it to their shop.

The engine was full of leaves, which took hours to vacuum out.

As Wagner says, the Audi R8 is the dream car of many people, featuring a 5.2 V10 engine, all-wheel drive, and a metallic black exterior.

They started by cleaning the wheels and exterior, the car changing from muddy grey to glistening black with the swish of a power hose.

Next, it was time to see if the top could still open and close.

While it was a jerky start-stop motion, it worked and was in pretty good condition all things considered.

Inside was full of spiders, cobwebs and mould, all of which were vacuumed and polished to perfection.

Wagner pointed out that it was a testament to the high-quality materials used that everything was so easy to clean.

Then they buffed the exterior and stuck the ‘8’ badge that had fallen off the back of the car back on.

Lastly, they tackled the exhaust.

“We’re going to polish up these exhaust tips but once you hear this car start and see how rich it runs I don’t know if it’s going to last very long,” Wagner said.

The owner was lost for words when the car was eventually revealed to him.

“I don’t think it was this nice when we first got it,” he said.

“There’s not a forest inside it any more.”

Amazingly, the car still had a full tank of gas.

They revved it a few times and the Audi R8 roared to life, loudly.

It seems this car might need a bit more than just a polish though, as it wasn’t long before smoke started pouring out the back.

“Starting a V10 that has been sitting for several years without doing any precautions is nothing but madness,” one commenter said.

“Only thing missing is a prison sentence for neglecting an automotive masterpiece,” another said.

Well, at least it looks pretty.