2010 Audi R8 V10 To Make Its Debut In Detroit

Following a year filled with much speculation concerning a V10 variant of its R8 supercar, Audi has confirmed that it will debut the 2010 R8 V10 at the upcoming North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The announcement is great news for organisers of the Detroit show, following recent decisions by a number of major brands to pull out of the 2009 event. 

The pending debut of the R8 V10, follows Audi's recent unveiling of the Audi R8 LMS which is also powered by the same 5.2L V10 engine. Producing 388kWs and almost 540Nms (and no-doubt very similar in spec to the Lamborghini Gallardo V10), the R8 V10 will do away with the R8's quad-exhaust tips in favour of a pair of larger outlets. We'd also expect the obligatory up-sized brakes/wheels and suspension fine-tuning, along with some interior revisions to round out the V10 package.

If open-top motoring is more to your liking, then you will be pleased to know that the all-but-confirmed Audi R8 Spyder, is expected to hit the European market in late 2009. It is believed that the R8's side-blades (you can see them in black in the above pic) will be reduced in size to aid the accommodation of the folding electric roof. Interior and mechanicals will likely carry over unchanged.

Stay tuned. We expect the usual deluge of information on the new R8 variants to wash over us before the Detroit Auto Show gets underway on Jan 11, 2009 . As usual, we'll keep you posted.