Audi R8 V10 Gets New Name: 2010 Performance Car of the Year

The Germans at the Volkswagen Group have really done it: the Audi R8 V10 was declared the 2010 World Performance Car at at the New York International Auto Show, after the VW Polo was named the 2010 World Car of the Year and the VW BlueMotion range received the World Green Car of the Year Award.

The V10 version of the R8 managed to overtake no less than sixteen performance vehicles in the eyes of the 59 world car jurors belonging to 25 countries throughout the world. The final round of the voting match saw the German go against the Ferrari California and one of its cousins, the Porsche 911 GT3.

"We’re honored that the Audi R8 V10 was chosen by this distinguished group of jurors as the 2010 World Performance Car," said Johan De Nysschen, Executive Vice President of Audi of America. "This is the fifth year of the World Performance Car award and the R8 has won it twice. Whether you choose an R8 with a V8 or with a V10 engine, you get a World Performance Car award winner. The records also show that an Audi has won this award three times. The truly global nature of the World Car jury is evidence that Audi is hitting the performance car sweet spot of car lovers around the world."

The uber R8 borrows the 525 hp 5.2 V10 powerplant form the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. It can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds and benefits from a top speed of 197 mph (315 km/h), having a starting price of $146,000.

If we look closer, we’ll notice that the VW Group nailed three out of four awards this year - the one it missed is the World Design of the Year, but no one expected Germans to win that...