Audi Sport’s Technical Project Leader for the Audi R8, Markus Haverkamp told paultan.org there’s absolutely no plans for a “lesser” engine to be fitted in its halo model. This puts to rest rumours of an “entry-level” 3.0 litre V6 turbo-powered R8 that’s supposedly slated for 2018.
He also said the naturally-aspirated 5.2 litre V10 engine is here to stay in the foreseeable future, although the notion of electrification wasn’t completely dismissed. “We are already thinking of a certain range, but we need to ascertain which is the right technology to use within the next 10 years,” Haverkamp said.
Audi is of course no stranger to electrification, with all variants of the new A7 and A8 being hybrids. The R8 may eventually be a recipient, but then comes the weight issue – hybrid systems adds a lot of weight to a car, the bulk of which comes from the battery pack.
“The Audi R8 as it is, is lightweight and fast. But a high-performance hybrid R8 would necessitate a larger battery which weighs a lot, and that is contrary to having fast lap times,” said Haverkamp. Point is, it’s probably coming, but not so soon – not without further advancement of battery technologies.
As for tackling emissions, currently, the V10 engine features cylinder deactivation (Cylinder On Demand or COD) technology, which shuts off a row of cylinders under low loads, conserving fuel (10% more fuel efficient than the model before) while emitting less CO2.
The Audi R8 is built at the company’s Neckarsulm facility and is solely available with the V10. Two flavours can be had: V10 and V10 Plus, making 540 hp/540 Nm and 610 hp/560 Nm respectively. Back at home, Audi Malaysia previously sold the first-generation R8 5.2 TFSI quattro for RM1,245,900 (OTR without insurance), and briefly teased the successor’s arrival.
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We’ll Audi you should plonk in a (turbo/super-charged) V6 3.0L because it makes sense. It’ll be more powerful than the V8 and lighter too.