Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10 2009 Review

Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10

What we liked
>> Harder revving engine
>> Head-turning looks
>> A lot of car for the money

Not so much
>> Doesn't look much different than the V8
>> Doesn't get much more gear than the V8
>> $355K is a lot of money for an Audi

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
-- Stepping up
Audi has made no secret of its plans to take over the prestige car market by 2015. But as grandiose as that plans sounds it will come down to sheer weight of numbers selling more of the likes of A3, A4 and A6. But to taken seriously as the leaders of the premium pack Audi also needs to showcase its abilities as a dynamic brand; which is where the R8 comes in.

Launched in 2007 with a 4.2 V8 sourced from the RS4, the mid-engined supercar took the four-ringed brand into uncharted territory. Instead of fighting BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the company instead found it fighting traditional supercar brands including Porsche and Lamborghini.

Installing a 5.2-litre V10 engine in the latest incarnation of the R8 has only upped the ante. The R8 now has the firepower to truly fight it out with the best supercars in the world today.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
-- Spot the difference
Not surprisingly the R8 V10 not only tops the Audi range in terms of performance, it also does so in price. While the V8 started comfortably under the $300K mark at $277,196, the addition of two cylinders pushes it well into the mid-$300K -- and that's before options.

The six-speed manual R8 V10 will set you back $351,000 (manufacturers list price not including dealer and government charges) while the R tronic version starts at $366,990.

Apart from the extra power, the changes are what you would call overwhelming. The V10 gets Audi hill hold assist, a unique wheel design, tyre pressure warning system, folding and auto dimming functions for exterior mirrors, Fine Nappa leather trim, heated front seats, Bang & Olufsen sound system and LED headlights.

Individualising your R8 V10 further will readily add thousands more to the price. For example, factor in ceramic brakes ($25,422); carbon-fibre engine compartment and side blades (circa $14K), a leather upgrade and seats (circa $16K-plus) and you've dropped another $55,000 on to the price. Or to put it another way -- a 2.0TFSI Quattro A3 Sportback and change...

MECHANICAL
-- Big engine but not much else
Moving under the skin, save for the engine transplant the changes are still more about subtle improvements than anything extensive.

The new 5.2-litre V10 produces 386kW at 8000rpm (an increase of 77kW and 2000 revs over the V8) and 530Nm at 6500rpm (an additional 100Nm ditto). Shared in concept if not componentry with the S8 and with its roots firmly south of the border in Lambo territory, the engine features dry-sump lubrication, direct injection and fly-by-wire throttle.

Although the gearbox choices are the same -- either a six-speed gated manual or R tronic auto -- the ratios have been tweaked for the new engine.

Braking hardware is carried over from the V8 with 365mm and 356mm rotors front and rear respectively.

Not surprisingly the bigger engine means more weight and the V10 tips the scales 45kg heavier than its eight-cylinder sibling.

The end result is a healthy increase in power to weight ratio. This yields a claimed 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds -- half a second quicker than the V8. The V10's top speed of 316km/h is 11km/h better than the V8.

Interestingly the fuel consumption of the V10 is 14.7L/100km on a combined cycle, which is only a 0.1L increase over the V8.

PACKAGING
-- Badges of honour
Aside from a couple of 'V10' badges on the sides there is very little in the way of styling and packaging changes. If you are really curious, see our original review for a full rundown.

One of the most appealing features of the R8 is its unique styling. And I don't just mean unique from its supercar rivals, but the rest of the Audi range. The German firm is rightly praised for its styling but there is a school of thought that all its cars do tend to look too similar. That's certainly not the case with the R8 inside and out. The cabin's swooping, driver-oriented dashboard gives it an interior look and feel that is also distinctive from the any other four-ringed model.

As we noted in our original V8 review there is enough luggage space as you generally require in a supercar. Capacity is unchanged from the V8 with 100-litres available up front and 90-litre additional in the rear. We must admit though with the racetrack testing only available for a limited time we focussed more on circuit work than squeezing in briefcases or golf clubs.

SAFETY
-- More of the same
Once again, not much to report here that differs from the V8; so see our original review for details.

COMPETITORS
-- Keeping it in the family
Given the boost in performance and price the R8 V10 is now well and truly in supercar territory. That means it is going to be benchmarked against the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo, Aston Martin DB9, Ferrari 430 and Lamborghini Gallardo.

Car companies often talk of conquest sales, attracting customers from rival brands into their cars. Indeed, Audi talks about doing just that with the R8 V10 with customers picking an Audi for the first time over traditional supercar brands like Porsche and Lamborghini. But is it technically a conquest sale if Audi gets a buyer out of a Porsche or Lamborghini now that they are all under the one umbrella?

Because the Porsche 911 and Lamborghini Gallardo are the most obvious competitors to the R8 V10; indeed the Audi and Lambo share plenty of DNA.

Given that Audi only expects to sell around 10 examples of the R8 V10 per year; a further 20 examples of the V8 and Lamborghini currently shifts a similar limited number of Gallardos, you do have to wonder just how much scope there is for mid-engined V10 supercars in Australia.

ON THE ROAD
-- Quick spin around the lake
Audi Australia chose to launch the car at Brisbane's Lakeside Raceway, a small but amazingly quick track with a kink on the main straight taken at 200km/h-plus in fast machinery. It also boasts several big stops to test the brakes and several off-camber corners to give the R8 a thorough work out.

With only one V10 model currently available in the country Audi laid on a variety of V8 models on hand to allow back-to-back comparison. And while on paper the changes between the V8 and V10 may look minor, once you get out on track the differences become far more apparent.

The first thing you notice is that the V10 revs harder and faster than the V8. It is a more flexible engine and with taller gearing allows you to use only third and fourth gear for rapid transit whereas fifth gear was needed in the 'smaller' car.

Interestingly given the similarities in specifications, the V10 feels more stable on the limit than the V8. This was especially the case through the flat-out kink on the straight but the V10 also feels more stable under hard braking.

Both cars feel brilliant through the corners with great balance and poise when changing direction. Based on this limited drive the R8 V10 is certainly not out of place among the world's best.

Although more expensive and outwardly similar in looks if you are going to buy an Audi R8 then the V10 is the one to choose.

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