The Audi R8 Thread

Audi R8 review

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

“The most everyday of the everyday supercars. With a screaming, naturally-aspirated V10. Good”

Audi’s persistence in sticking with a large capacity, naturally aspirated V10 is increasingly giving it a real point of differentiation when almost all its rivals are motivated by twin turbo V8s (or a flat six, obvs). The engine has only been very lightly tweaked for the facelift, the extra handful of horsepower barely noticeable, but this is still a stand-out, hands-down stunning engine.

And it’s the centrepiece of what remains a very complete supercar. The visual changes have given the front end a sharpness that’s been copied by the mechanical alterations underneath. It’s still not as direct and precise as a McLaren Sports Series or Porsche GT3, but there’s added bite on turn-in and notably improved steering feel (we’ll now not blank you if you insist on having the variable ratio Dynamic Steering, either).

It’s easy to overlook the R8 among newer, fresher, more dynamic rivals with more exotic badges, but rather than feeling outdated, its engine and huge breadth of ability make it feel increasingly special. A supercar that fully deserves its spot at the top table.

www.topgear.com

Audi R8 Review 2023 | Top Gear

Its engine and huge breadth of ability make it feel increasingly special. A supercar that fully deserves its spot at the top table
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
Five-Cylinder Turbo Engine Nearly Made Its Way Into Audi R8

The Audi R8 as we know it is bowing out with the special edition rear-wheel drive GT but at some point in its life, it nearly got a radically different engine to the 5.2-litre V10 we have come to know and love.

Steve Sutcliffe from The Connection recently sat down with Marcos Marques, Project Manager eFuels at Porsche where a very interesting disclosure took place.

The folks from Ingolstadt had planned a base variant of the Audi R8, but with a turbocharged five-cylinder engine from the TT RS and RS3. If this did indeed happen, it would get a rear-wheel-drive layout to save weight and would have been available with a manual.

Marques mentioned the five-cylinder would be down on horsepower but up on torque compared to the V10 which means the 2.5-litre would have been tweaked.

Although this version was “cleaner and almost as quick” as the V10, they decided against it.

www.zero2turbo.com

Five-Cylinder Turbo Engine Nearly Made Its Way Into Audi R8

Although it was "cleaner and almost as quick" as the V10, they decided against it.
www.zero2turbo.com www.zero2turbo.com
 
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