Some people don’t just want to own an Audi R8, they want everyone else to know about it too. What better way to advertise one’s status than with the roof down?

Most would be happy enough knowing Audi finally managed to shoehorn the 5.2 litre V10 engine behind the cabin, but for those still left wanting, the R8 Roadster may be for you.

According to UK rag WhatCar, the drop-top R8 is expected to hit the market in 2011.

With the mid-engine layout gobbling up the space that any sort of retractable hard-top would need, the R8 Spyder is likely to feature a fabric soft-top.

There’s no word on which engine will appear behind the driver or what the car will cost, but we’ve got a few years for that information to leak out so sit tight.

If it goes ahead, Audi will then have a contender for the likes of Porsche’s 911 Cabriolet, Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage Roadster, and Ferrari’s F430 Spider replacement.

[Source: What Car]