Audi R8 5.2 V10 Spyder Spied

What you're looking at are some of the first images of the full production version of Audi's upcoming 525 HP 5.2-liter V10 R8 Spyder. It looks remarkably similar to our speculative illustration created last year.

It's rumored to launch with only the 5.2-liter V10 under its new vented rear deck, though it's likely that the 4.2-liter V8 will show up later on in the production cycle. Gone are the trademark sideblades on the coupe, creating, what we feel, is a much cleaner execution. Performance figures for the Teutonic ragtop are expected to be similar to the R8 coupe with a top speed that will land slightly lower on the chart.

Initially thought to be revealed during today's Audi Centennial celebration, the R8 Spyder will likely make its formal world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with a cameo in the upcoming comic book sequel, Iron Man 2 in 2010.

[Note, these photos have apparently been on GermanCarBlog since August. Based on information we have it seems as though this is almost identical to the near-production V10 model. The last photo in the set is the photo illustration we previously posted]