It was not entirely unexpected: Audi wants to make EVs sexy and reduce the average emissions of its range, so makes its sexiest car emissions free.
A shame? In a way. But with every R8 since the very first, Audi has gradually fattened and diluted its mid-engined supercar. That first V8 was so good, so agile, so communicative and so deft-riding that it won our Britain’s Best Driver’s Car contest in 2007. The V10 made it heavier and therefore worse and more expensive, so it has never been close since. So the shame isn’t necessarily the death of the V10, but that the R8 had lost much of what made it so brilliant the first time around.
The ever-evolving world of the Audi R8:
Audi R8 Le Mans Prototype 2000 - The race car that inspired the R8 road car was launched in 2000 and promptly won that year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. It went on to take five Le Mans wins in six years, from 2000 until 2005.
Audi Le Mans Quattro concept 2003 - To celebrate a Le Mans hat-trick (at the time), Audi showcased this aluminium spaceframe concept car, powered by a 601bhp twin- turbo V10, at the Frankfurt motor show. Work began on a production version soon after.
Audi R8 Mk1 2006 - Taking its name from the Le Mans racer, the first-gen R8 road car shared architecture and components with the Lamborghini Gallardo and was propelled by a 4.2-litre V8 from the RS4. V10 engines and a Spyder version followed.
Audi R8 E-tron 2015 - The first R8 E-tron prototype was shown in 2010, but it took until 2015 for the car to reach production, with 376bhp, 605lb ft, two motors and rear drive. It had a limited top speed of 124mph and a 280-mile range.
Audi R8 Mk2 2015 - The second-gen R8 was launched at the Geneva show. The V8 engine was dropped from the range and the launch line-up featured a range-topping 601bhp 5.2 V10. A rear-wheel-drive version arrived last year.
Read more
Next Audi R8 to be a hypercar-chasing EV
Audi R8 review
Audi e-tron: 402bhp, 490lb ft, sub-6.0sec 0-62mph confirmed
Join the debate
Add your comment
Long live the R8 Mk4 which
Long live the R8 Mk4 which will be driverless.
not all evs are heavier
mass centralisation can be improved, refueling doesn't change the weight so it always drives the same. a big engine, with associated gubbins and gearbox, and a tank of fuel, is far from a light thing. the weight penalty of electric is reducing, quickly
R8
....never saw the V10 version as progress. It sounded terrible compared to the V8 and didnt really ove the game on.
I guess this news will turn Mk1 V8's classic cars in the making!
Grab one while they are cheap.