Audi R8 to stick with V10 for this generation

The Audi R8 will see out its second generation with the existing 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 engine as its sole powertrain option.

In the first-generation car, the R8 was offered with a V10, while more affordable variants were powered by a 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8. The latter engine disappeared when the second-generation R8 was unveiled in 2015.

Rumours have been swirling for a while about Audi preparing to replace the V8 with a new 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 jointly developed with Porsche.

We're not sure how close the V6 R8 was to production, but Bjorn Friedrich, R8 project manager, told Car Throttle the V10 will remain the only engine available in this generation, confirming an anonymously-sourced report which surfaced March this year.

“It’s the best engine for the car. We’ll stick to the V10,” Friedrich said.

With industry chatter suggesting the R8 won't be renewed for a third-generation model, the supercar could bow out as a pure V10.

There is talk, though, the PB18 concept car could preview an all-electric replacement for the R8.

Friedrich would neither confirm nor deny the possibility of a rear-wheel drive RWS version of the updated R8.

The R8 was recently refreshed with more powerful engine options, and a more aggressive exterior design. It will go on sale locally in 2019, and our culture and lifestyle editor Rob Margeit has just returned from Spain where he reviewed the updated supercar at the Circuit Ascari.

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