The all-new Audi R8 launched exclusively with V10 engines mated to dual-clutch automatic transmissions, with no mention about V8 or manual options.
While many supposed that cheaper V8-engined versions would follow, Quattro GmbH’s boss Heinz Hollerweger said that’s not going to happen. “We have no interest in a V8,” the executive told Automobile at the Geneva Motor Show. The reason for that is simple: customers of the first-generation Audi R8 were far more interested in V10 models than V8s.
There won’t be any manual transmissions either, as Hollerweger said modern dual-clutch automatic transmissions outperform manuals at the track. “You have to look at lap times,” he explained, adding that a manual can’t possibly match the performance of the R8’s dual-clutch transmission.
Another reason for the discontinuation of manual transmissions in the R8 is the low take rate – for example, in Europe it was almost zero for the manual transmission Audi R8s. This is why Hollerweger believes there’s no point in offering a manual on the new car.
What this means is that the new Audi R8 will only be available with one of the two 5.2-liter V10 engines mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, plus the E-Tron electric version which will arrive later.
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