2010 Audi R8 5.2 V10

Ever since our first experience with the R8—based on the V-10–powered Lamborghini Gallardo—we’ve been wondering when Audi’s supercar would get a 10-cylinder of its very own. Not that the R8’s 420-hp V-8 doesn’t have enough grunt to afford a good time, but more power would really allow the car to better compete in supercar territory. When the Gallardo was recently upgraded to LP560-4 specification courtesy of a 5.2-liter, Audi-derived V-10, it seemed that a similar blessing for the R8 had to be right around the corner. Well, that corner has now been turned, and Audi will use the beleaguered 2009 Detroit auto show to introduce the world to the Audi R8 5.2 FSI.

The V-10 engine of the R8 5.2—5.2 liters is the engine’s displacement—is not new by any means. Less-powerful versions of the direct-injection unit are used in the current S8 and S6 sedans. When the R8 5.2 arrives here it will be the brand’s highest-powered U.S.-market offering, boasting 525 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. (The Euro-only RS 6 sedan and wagon have 580 horses from a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V-10.) Weight gain is negligible, as the bigger engine weighs only 68 pounds more than the standard V-8. Audi claims a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph, and the company expects combined fuel economy to top 17 mpg in the European cycle.