Photo: Audi
The odd-firing V10, called 5.2-liter FSI in the R8, can trace its roots back to 2003. It was then that Lamborghini introduced the even-firing 5.0-liter V10 in the Gallardo, the first of its kind for the Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese.
Being under the control of the Volkswagen Group, Audi took a liking to the ten-cylinder engine, deciding to upgrade the R8 to the 5.2-liter V10 in 2009. The four-ringed automaker from Ingolstadt then discontinued the 4.2-liter V8, relegating the R8 to the ten-cylinder engine that also serves as the high-revving heart of the Gallardo and Huracan.
There’s been talk that Audi, which controls Audi on behalf of the group these days, will discontinue the free-breathing V10 in the coming years. The German automaker then confirmed it would embrace the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 from Porsche as the largest engine in the lineup. Lamborghini decided to go hybrid , keeping the ten- and twelve-cylinder engine options alive for the foreseeable future.
Rewind back to two years ago or thereabouts, and that’s when rumors started suggesting the R8 would receive a twin-turbo V6 as the entry-level engine in markets such as China. At long last, Car Throttle comes with the conclusion to this rollercoaster of hearsay, citing Bjorn Friedrich. At the launch of the R8, the project manager told the motoring publication the V10 “is the best engine for the car; we’ll stick to the V10.”
Contrary to the launch schedule that featured the R8 V6 as one of the debuts reserved for 2018, Audi made the right choice to put the project to pasture. But while we’re rejoicing about the R8 V10 not going anywhere, research & development chief Peter Mertens said something worrying on the sidelines of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.
Mertens told Road & Track that most of the development budget had been reallocated to batteries, electric drive units, and associated technologies, adding that there are no plans for a replacement for the time being. On the upside, the Audi official did mention the R8 has quite a bit of life left in it.
There’s been talk that Audi, which controls Audi on behalf of the group these days, will discontinue the free-breathing V10 in the coming years. The German automaker then confirmed it would embrace the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 from Porsche as the largest engine in the lineup. Lamborghini decided to go hybrid , keeping the ten- and twelve-cylinder engine options alive for the foreseeable future.
Rewind back to two years ago or thereabouts, and that’s when rumors started suggesting the R8 would receive a twin-turbo V6 as the entry-level engine in markets such as China. At long last, Car Throttle comes with the conclusion to this rollercoaster of hearsay, citing Bjorn Friedrich. At the launch of the R8, the project manager told the motoring publication the V10 “is the best engine for the car; we’ll stick to the V10.”
Contrary to the launch schedule that featured the R8 V6 as one of the debuts reserved for 2018, Audi made the right choice to put the project to pasture. But while we’re rejoicing about the R8 V10 not going anywhere, research & development chief Peter Mertens said something worrying on the sidelines of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.
Mertens told Road & Track that most of the development budget had been reallocated to batteries, electric drive units, and associated technologies, adding that there are no plans for a replacement for the time being. On the upside, the Audi official did mention the R8 has quite a bit of life left in it.
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