12:48 pm, December 9, 2008
AUDI has confirmed it’s putting the acclaimed V10 from the Lambo Gallardo into its R8 supercar.
The second R8 model will be powered by the 5.2-litre V10 FSI petrol engine and dealers will open their order books in January for first deliveries in the spring.
It will be available with a manual gearbox at £99,575, or with the firm’s R tronic sequential shift transmission at £104,665.
The awesome 5,204cc V10 produces 525bhp at 8,000rpm and 530Nm at 6,500rpm compared to the standard car’s 4.2 V8 with 420bhp and 430Nm.
The new R8 will hit 60mph in 3.7 seconds, have a top speed of 196mph and a combined mpg of 20.6.
Other highlights include the world’s first all-LED headlamps as standard, plus Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping and Bang & Olufsen’s awesome audio system.
The new 5.2-litre FSI V10 petrol engine mounted longitudinally directly behind the cockpit is almost identical in construction to the unit powering the recently announced R8 LMS that will race at customer level in the GT3 class.
It contributes only 31kg more to the overall weight of the all-aluminium-bodied R8 than the existing V8, taking it to 1,620kg, and making possible an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 324PS per ton.
Audi says by mounting the 10-cylinder unit as close as possible to the centre of the R8, its engineers have achieved near perfect 44 per cent front / 56 per cent rear weight distribution for optimum handling balance.
Dry sump engine lubrication – an element specifically derived from racing – also furthers this aim by enabling the V10 to be mounted as close to the road as possible to lower the centre of gravity.
We can’t wait to try it out…
