Audi Isn't Giving up on the V10
The team at Audi Sport isn't willing to let go of the V10 engine just yet. Discussions are underway as to whether Audi should maintain the ICE or go fully electric with the R8.
An Uncertain Future
There was some speculation a while back that Audi would replace the combustion engine in the R8 and make the vehicle fully electric. And many believed the automaker would drop the model altogether with no direct successor. There now seems to be a third option. Audi Sport recently expressed its desire to keep the V10 engine alive for a third generation R8. This brings much hope in what we'd considered an uncertain future.
Photos Courtesy of Motor1
Doing Everything they Can
In a recent interview with Autocar, Oliver Hoffmann, Audi Sport's managing director, said that the team is fighting to keep the V10 alive for the next generation R8. The 5.2-liter ten-cylinder power unit seems to have a good number of reputable supporters who would also like to see it live on. As Hoffmann and the team try to convince the powers that be, the concern remains whether to opt for electrification or maintain the internal combustion engine.
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Stricter Regulations
The reason why Hoffmann faces a difficult task ahead of him with regards to the engine is because emission laws in Europe are getting harsher. There's also a wider convergence towards electrification among major industry players. Supercars being low-volume products, it makes no sense to retain such an old-school engine.
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A Successor in 2022
The good news is that there's an Audi R8 successor that's scheduled to arrive in 2022. This will be with or without the V10. There's a high chance that it will have a limited-run special edition running on a 5.2-liter FSI that will be sold alongside the electric variant. Lamborghini isn't in a hurry to replace the V10 that powers the Huracan either. This shows that Volkswagen Group isn't giving up on the engine altogether.
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Audi and Lamborghini
Lamborghini and Audi Sport are working side-by-side to cut development costs by sharing their hardware bits and pieces. The R8 and the Huracan already have a lot in common, as the latter borrows its platform from the former. The Huracan will allegedly make the V10 part of a hybrid system under a well-built platform. It will be no surprise if the two share a similar powertrain in the near future.
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More Extreme Versions
Hoffmann confirmed that Audi Sport is working on R8 versions that are more extreme than those previously built. An example debuted earlier this week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The idea is to take things a notch higher by incorporating aerodynamics and a rear-wheel drive setup into a track-focused model. Hoffmann added that there are a few things the team needs to take care of first before rolling such a vehicle out. Some of the challenges they currently face include a lack of support internally, as well as safety issues.
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