Audi's R8 was an instant success when it broke onto the sports-car scene in 2007, and now the Germans are sweetening the deal with a new range-topping V10 engine. The new V10 engine brings the R8 into closer competition with supercars such as the Lamborghini Gallardo, with which it also shares a platform. Currently the car is slated to debut in Europe for the second quarter of 2009, however Audi Australia is remaining silent about the car's Australian debut.
Audi's current V8 engine in the R8 is no sluggish performer, however enthusiast's have been looking forward to seeing more power in the Audi R8 for some time now to allow it to compete at a supercar level. With 5.2-litres of displacement, an 8,700rpm redline, 386kW and 530Nm of torque, a 0-100km/h time of just 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 316km/h the new engine's performance figures certainly read like a supercar. Though the new engine is still an Audi unit, strictly speaking - it's also found in the S6 and S8 sedans in similar form - it's based around the Lamborghini Gallardo's V10 design.
All this extra power decreases the fuel efficiency of the V10 R8 when compared to the V8 version. Nevertheless, fuel efficiency tips in at a rather respectable, though by no means exemplary, 13.7L/100km, though enthusiastic use of the loud pedal - a near-inevitability with a V10 strapped to one's back - will certainly reduce that figure in practice, however.
Weight still similar to V8 model
Weighing in at 1,620kg the V10 R8 isn't exactly a lightweight, but it's only 31kg heavier than the 313kW V8 version. The weight is distributed in a classic mid-engine 44/56 front/rear ratio, however, ensuring balanced behaviour under braking and slightly tail-biased handling under acceleration. Lateral acceleration on the factory-equipped 235/35 front and 295/30 rear street tires is a bracing 1.2g. Moving to a less staggered rubber setup should improve that figure even further.
The stock wheels feature a 10-spoke Y-design, ensconcing standard 15in front/14in rear disc brakes or optional carbon ceramic brakes that weigh a combined 9kg less than their steel counterparts - a serious reduction in unsprung, rotating mass.
Unique V10 R8 features
Special 'sideblades' on the V10 R8 are more aggressively styled than on the V8 model, the side-sills are wider and the exhaust grilles at the rear get a matte aluminium treatment. Another V10-unique detail is the inclusion of Audi's all-LED headlights as standard equipment. Integrating 54 LEDs, the lights generate a colour temperature of 6,000 Kelvin - very close to natural daylight. They are available as an option on the standard V8 R8.
Unique interior touches add a more racing-inspired feel than the standard R8's cockpit, or 'monoposto' as Audi styles it. A wide variety of leathers are available, and the interior surfaces can be had in carbon fibre, piano black or a number of other finishes.
Pricing for the car will start at €142,400 (AUD $277,000) in Europe, and will be available with a choice of either six-speed manual or Audi's R tronic sequential gearbox. European pricing for the V10-engined Audi R8 is similar to the pricing in Australia for the less potent V8 Audi R8, so expect a hefty price spike for Australian purchasers when compared to their European counterparts that should see the V10-engined R8 priced in the vicinity of around $350,000.
source:carcentral
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