In news that will surprise almost nobody, Audi has announced that it will be swapping the S5’s 4.2L V8 engine in favour of a lighter, almost as powerful, and much more fuel-efficient supercharged V6. Just as it did with the S4 range. The charged six will pump out 245kWs and a healthy 440Nms, meaning that only the power figure has dropped - down 15kWs - so Audi fans needn’t worry about performance.

It’s unlikely that the 4.2L V8 will disappear from Audi specifications lists just yet, as there’s every chance a twin-turbo version could see duty in new iterations of the S6 and S8. Both of which are currently powered by a de-tuned version of Lamborghini’s 5.0L V10 and could benefit from the improved handling and fuel efficiency the V8 could potentially provide.

While we’re on the topic of Audi engine shuffling, lets not forget there’s an Audi R8 V10 on the way and that Audi has all but confirmed ‘the coming’ of an R4 sibling. Expect the R4 to be powered by the same supercharged V6 seen throughout the Audi range, while the base R8 will likely continue with the 4.2L V8 for now.

If all that is enough to make your head spin then try not to think too hard about the fact that Audi is also said to be working on its range of ‘RS’ cars which should be lighter and more powerful again.

The days of making more power by merely increasing displacement alone are long gone. Sure, some may lament the trend to engine-downsizing, but rest assured that turbo and supercharger technology will continue to ensure there’s plenty to get excited about.

GALLERY » 2009 Audi S5