When Audi announced that the 2016 R8 would arrive in two flavors of V10, everyone surmised that a V8 was coming at some point as well, just like on the previous version of the company-defining supercar. Now the head of Quattro says that won't be the case.
Speaking to Automobile at last week's Geneva Motor Show, Quattro chief Heinz Hollerweger shot down notions of the R8 getting a V8 at some point.
Hollerweger had one other bit of news surrounding the Audi R8, that a V-8 will not be available for the car. It came as a bit of a surprise that the new R8 launched with the V-10 and now we know why. "We have no interest in a V-8," Hollerweger said. He also indicated that the take rate for the eight-cylinder was low and that interest in the "iconic" V-10 far outstripped expectations in the first-gen car.
What's interesting about this is that while he specifically mentions a V8, other Audi sources have said that the new R8 will see smaller engines throughout its seven-year lifespan. Maybe it's going to go the twin-turbo V6 route after all then.
Also off the table, according to Hollerweger: a manual gearbox, because lap times and because customers didn't want one. But we've known that for a while.
For now, enthusiasts will just have to sigh longingly as they find a way to make do with 540 and 610 horsepower from the V10 and V10 Plus models. (Yes, that was sarcasm.) Or they can pony up for the sweet instant torque of the electric R8 E-Tron.
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