Audi R8 to remain V10 only

It turns out there is no replacement for displacement. Well, according to Audi.

After years of speculation, the German car-maker has formally hosed down talk of a new twin-turbocharged V6 joining the ranks of its R8 supercar.

Confirming the flagship would remain V10-powered only in the current generation, the R8’s project manager, Bjorn Friedrich, told CarThrottle there would be no replacement to the 4.2-litre V8 engine previously used as an entry grade.

“It’s the best engine for the car… We’ll stick to the V10,” he concluded.

Persistent rumours have linked the R8 with a version of the 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 already deployed in the Audi RS4/RS5 and Porsche Panamera.

Then, what appeared to be a leaked production schedule from Audi seemingly confirmed the rumours. However, nothing materialised when the new 2019 R8 was revealed in October.

The R8’s naturally-aspirated 5.2-litre V10 – shared with the Lamborghini Huracan - has been a defining feature since its introduction in 2009, helping differentiate the supercar from smaller capacity and increasingly turbocharged offerings from Ferrari and McLaren.

Audi has made no commitment to an R8 successor beyond the current generation, with an as-yet unnamed electric supercar set to eschew the current flagship.

Friedrich was also non-committal on the chances of Audi producing another RWS, or Rear Wheel Series, of the current R8. Given the out-and-out success of the first version, we can only hope.