<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"         Luckily for , giving the more power \u2014 about the only area where the car could be considered lacking \u2014 was literally as easy as dropping in the direct-injected 5.2-liter V-10 from the , that 552-bhp powerplant a descendant of the FSI V-10s Audi designed for the S6 and S8 sports sedans in late 2006. The main differences between the Gallardo and engines lie in engine mapping and intake and exhaust tuning, which result in 525 bhp (DIN) and 391 lb.-ft. of torque, making the R8 5.2 the most powerful Audi production car ever.   Despite sharing an engine with the raucous , the R8 V-10 still drives (and sounds) like an R8, just one with a lot more power \u2014 think sophisticated German, not flamboyant Italian. Whether you&amp;#039;re slamming through the stainless-steel gates of the standard-issue 6-speed manual transmission or the optional R tronic 6-speed single-clutch paddle-shift gearbox, the R8&amp;#039;s explosive V-10 makes beautiful, neck-wrenching, high-pitched power all the way to its 8700-rpm redline. Although glorious-sounding from the outside, the V-10 \u2014 as with the V-8 version \u2014 is more muted than you&amp;#039;d expect inside the cockpit. Audi claims 0\u201362 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph (versus our as-tested 0\u201360 time of 4.3 sec. and 187-mph top speed for the 4.2-liter R8 V-8).   Believe it or not, the V-10 \u2014 which features dry sump lubrication \u2014 only weighs 68 lb. more than the V-8, Audi officials estimating U.S.-spec R8 V-10s to pay a total weight penalty of about 100 lb. Considering all the extra power available, that&amp;#039;s like eating a hot fudge sundae without gaining the dreaded flab around your midsection.   To increase the performance quotient of the R8 V-10 even further, the car&amp;#039;s standard magnetorheological adaptive suspension system was firmed up. The result is a handling balance very similar to the V-8 car&amp;#039;s, meaning slight steady-state understeer, but the chassis is even more responsive to drop-throttle, yet still without fear of snap oversteer. Due to the R8 V-10&amp;#039;s extra 100 horsepower and the Quattro all-wheel-drive system&amp;#039;s 15/85 front/rear torque bias, you will have to deal with oversteer on corner exit if you drive the car hard with ESP switched off \u2014 which we call great fun!   Only two annoying aspects of the R8 V-10 exist: The first is that the carbon-ceramic brakes, which might not even be offered in the U.S., are a touch grabby, although immensely powerful. The second is that if you overlap throttle and brake even the slightest, power is temporarily cut \u2014 a real problem for left-foot brakers.   Key styling changes include a switch from three to two horizontal grille slats at the front and rear, with said areas painted high-gloss black. The sideblade air intakes for the engine are also larger, the quad exhaust has been replaced by twin oval tips (behind which still reside four pipes), the side sills are larger and the car sports new Y-spoke 19-in. alloy wheels.   The Audi R8 V-10 will go on sale in Germany in the second quarter of this year at 142,900 Euros. Audi North America hopes to have the first R8 V-10s on our continent by the end of the year. U.S. pricing has yet to be decided, but count on it being somewhere between $170,000\u2013$200,000. A very exotic price, for sure, but with its newfound ferocity, impeccable handling and continued crowd-drawing styling, the R8 now has the credentials to hang with the big-boy supercars.   What&amp;#039;s Hot:   Thrilling V-10 power &amp;quot;You must look at me&amp;quot; styling The world&amp;#039;s best everyday exotic?  What&amp;#039;s Not:   Exotic-car price Carbon-ceramic brakes not standard  Exhaust note too mild  What&amp;#039;s New:   Direct-injected V-10 with 525 hp Stiffer suspension  Styling tweaks front and rear  Cars to Compare:         "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a14518/2010-audi-r8-52-fsi-quattro-1/>