The Porsche Panamera's New V6 Will End Up In The Audi R8

Rumours of the Audi R8 gaining a V6 option are nothing new, but now we have a good idea of which particular six-pot will end up nestling in the supercar’s engine bay.

According to a report from Autocar, we can expect a future entry-level R8 to use the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 found in the Panamera S, an engine co-developed between Porsche and Audi. It’ll also end up in the future RS4, RS5 and RSQ5.

The V6 R8 - expected to arrive in 2018 - should be a massive seller in markets like China, thanks to vehicle taxation laws.

It won’t quite have the charm of the revvy old 4.2-litre, naturally-aspirated V8, but it should be plenty powerful. It’s good for for 434bhp and 405lb ft in the Panamera S, but expect the output to be cranked closer to the 500bhp mark when it’s used in Ingolstadt’s hotter products.