2018 Audi R8 V10 Photos, engines & full specs

Audi refreshed the second generation of the R8 V10 supercar in late 2018, and besides some exterior changes, it also upgraded its suspension and the drivetrain for an even more thrilling experience.

With over 30,000 units sold during the two generations of the R8 since the model’s introduction in 2006, the German supercar was a great success. In 2015, the automaker unveiled the model’s second generation at the Geneva Motor Show. This time, it offered it as a V10-only affair. But Audi wanted to keep the sales momentum. In 2018, it gave the car a well-deserved facelift that primarily affected the exterior and the drivetrain. The car became so desirable that when Audi announced it would end production in 2023, orders started to pile up. Hence, the automaker had to keep the assembly lines working until spring 2024.

At the front, Audi installed a new honeycomb mesh grille that was wider and flatter than before. It was flanked by LED headlights with L-shaped daytime running lights on their outer upper corners. Below them, the automaker placed the redesigned air intakes that cooled the front brakes and created an air curtain around the bodywork. On the non-facelifted version, the R8 V10 featured two vertical slats, which were removed for the 2018 model year.

From its profile, there were minor changes, which mostly only the models’ fans could notice. For instance, the car sported black V10 badges placed on the front fenders instead of the chromed ones used before. In addition, the door mirror caps were silver, in the Audi Sport fashion. Moving on to the sides, the silver air intakes placed behind the rear doors replaced the black ones used in the 2015 model year. Surprisingly, the most significant changes were on the car’s rear side. It was like a statement that said that that was the most commonly viewed part of the vehicle. There was a broad grille from side to side. The taillights were also new, and under the bumper, the car manufacturer installed two big round exhausts, one on each side. Another interesting detail was in the engine bay behind the cabin. Audi installed a set of LEDs on the sides, which could illuminate the big V10 powerplant installed there.

The cabin was mostly the same, featuring a flat-bottom steering wheel that housed the buttons for the start/stop, the active exhausts, and the drive mode selector. The sports seats were divided by the center console that could be finished in a dark carbon fiber trim, which was not available on the non-facelifted version.

The 5.2-liter V10 powerplant carried over from Lamborghini was available in a few power versions, the most potent one sending 640 PS (633 hp) to the wheels via a seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) S-Tronic gearbox. The quattro all-wheel drive system was standard.