Audi dumps turbo for R8

Tom

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Audi’s RS version of the new R8 sports car won’t get the firm’s 572bhp twin-turbocharged V10 engine, as seen in the new RS6, but a new normally aspirated V10 that will run cooler than the turbo, and provide the mid-engined model with around 500bhp, and a top speed of more than 200mph.

The admission has come from Audi’s Quattro GmbH director Werner Frowein. When questioned by members of the Swedish motoring press, he admitted that the three R8 prototypes that caught fire during performance testing at the Nordschleife last year were running the blown V10 engine, and simply overheated under extreme performance conditions.

"The 580hp strong V10 will not be making it into the RS8,” said Frowein. “Instead we are currently working on a ten-cylinder with just over 500hp for the car."

So does that mean the car will use a more highly strung version of the standard S6’s 429bhp V10? It’s highly likely. The alternative would be for Audi to add another two cylinders to the standard R8’s 4.2-litre V8, but developing two separate V10 engines is expected to be ruled out for cost reasons.

Audi insiders have suggested that the RS8 will emerge earlier than is normal for an RS-badged version of an Audi model. Ingolstadt normally waits until the last few years of a model’s lifecycle to release the hottest model in the range, a tactic that buoys interest in the car, but in the R8’s case it’s expected to make an exception.

For that reason, we’d expect it to be on sale well before the end of the decade, but after the launch of the R8 Convertible.

Source:
Autocar - Audi dumps turbos for hottest R8
 

infernaL

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oh cmon the GT2 can work with such little space to produce such power, the R8 should have no problems doing so.
 

si|verfish

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The problem is not developing the power. The problem is in engine design.

Porsche's 3.6 boxer has always been placed in the arse and was designed with that in mind.

The biturbo V10 Audi tried to stick in the RS8 was from the Audi RS6, a front engined vehicle. They struggled to give the engine enough cooling and the R8 chassis probably doesn't afford the engineers enough room to work it out. Bear in mind that cost is also an issue.

What I'm trying to say is it isn't impossible to fix the problem, German engineers can engineer their way out of death, just that a suitable solution is probably not feasible in their situation.
 
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infernaL

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well the GT2 does manage it with twin turbochargers.....
was referring to engine space captain obvious.

anyways i think if the R8 has too much power it would be competing against bigger bulls not just the Gallardo at the moment. now VW wouldn't want that kinda cannibalization wouldn't they ?

or they could stick 10 radiators ala Veyron lol
 

si|verfish

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Haha, but the Veyron is a loss making engineering and marketing exercise. VW loses a couple of million for every Buggati Veyron sold.

I don't think they want to do that with the RS8. Probably wise to dump the biturbo V10 idea and go with something easier instead of eating up time and money to solve the problem. The accountants are the ones running car companies now. Now if Piech was still VAG boss, things might be different.
 

infernaL

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hmmm true that. so its most likely that the R8 would'nt make more then 500hp tops cause that again will defeat its pricing purpose which is under £100k to compete with GT3 and the bull killing thingy.

im sure one of the german tuners would have force fed the car already.
 

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