2009 Audi R8 V10 FSI
The German car maker has confirmed that a 5.2-litre V10 engine will power the latest addition to the R Series. Its 5.2-litre, ten-cylinder engine churns out 386kW and 530Nm of torque, which makes for breathtaking performance. It will accelerate to 100km/h in a claimed 3.9 seconds to reach 200km/h just 5 seconds later and on to a top speed of 316km/h. The R8 5.2 FSI retains the quattro all-wheel drive system, which is enclosed in a lightweight aluminium body. Its naturally aspirated engine combines racing technology such as dry sump lubrication with FSI petrol direct injection. The ten-cylinder design is the perfect synthesis for impressive top performance, mighty pulling power, and low weight. Starting in 2009, this engine will also prove its potential on the world's racetracks - in the new R8 racing car Audi is developing for customer teams in conformance with the GT3 rules.
The V10 engine in the production sports car will be almost identical in construction to the one in the racing version. Its displacement is 5,204cc, at 6,500 rpm it delivers 530Nm of torque, at 8,000 rpm its power tops out at 386 kW. The 5.2-litre powerplant uses direct injection according to the FSI principle developed by Audi. A common rail system injects the fuel into the combustion chambers with up to 120 bar of pressure. Direct injection reduces the susceptibility to knocking and provides a certain amount of cooling through the evaporation of the fuel, which in turn supports a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This in turn contributes to superior performance and improves fuel economy. Fuel ecomony is stated at 13.8 litres/ 100km. The Audi R8 chassis offers both dynamic performance and comfort on long distances. Its mid-engine design provides an ideal axle load distribution of 44 to 56 percent. The wheel suspensions on dual aluminium wishbones front and rear - a classic racing technology - are optimised for neutral self-steering characteristics.
Even more than in the eight-cylinder R8, this setup is designed for maximum performance. 19-inch wheels equipped with tyre pressure monitoring display are standard equipment. Their 10-spoke Y design is exclusive to the R8 V10. Tyre sizes are 235/35 front and 295/30 rear. The car features a high-end damper technology as standard: Audi magnetic ride adapts the characteristics of the suspension in milliseconds to the nature of the road surface and to the driving style. Suspended in the oil of the shock absorbers are tiny magnetic particles which, when a voltage is applied, rearrange themselves so as to slow down the flow of oil through the valves. Braking is provided by eight brake pistons at the front and four at the rear. An optionally ceramic brake system whose disks are made of a composite material containing high-strength carbon fibers is also available. The R8 5.2 FSI quattro will arrive in Australia later this year.
The standard R8 starts at $277,000 so expect a sticker price in the vicinity of $360,000.
