Audi R8 Will Remain V10 Only, Says Supercar’s Project Manager

Remember that V6-powered Audi R8 that was supposed to come before the end of this year? Well, it ain’t happening, because the German car firm appears to have changed its mind.

The supercar’s project manager, Bjorn Friedrich, recently confirmed that the R8 will only be offered with a V10 engine, says CarThrottle, claiming that “it’s the best engine for the car” and thus they’ll “stick to it”.

The R8 V6 was expected with the same twin-turbo 2.9-liter engine as the RS4 and RS5 models. In those, it produces 450 PS (444 hp / 331 kW) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque, allowing them to sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in around 4 seconds, more or less, depending on the car.

Friedrich didn’t confirm nor deny the rumor about yet another rear-wheel drive R8, so in all likelihood, this one is coming, too.

The 2019 R8 was unveiled last month with a more aggressive styling, revised suspension, retuned power steering (and optional dynamic steering) and enhanced ESC.

In the revamped R8, the naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 is now good for 570 PS (562 hp / 419 kW) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque in entry-level form. The extra 30 PS (30 hp / 22 kW) and 10 Nm (7 lb-ft) of torque allow the Coupe to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 324 km/h (201 mph).

Using a more powerful version of the same engine, the Performance model has benefited from a 10 PS (10 hp / 7 kW) and 20 Nm (15 lb-ft) raise, to 620 PS (611 hp / 456 kW) and 580 Nm (428 lb-ft), accelerating from naught to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.1 seconds and maxing out at 331 km/h (205 mph).