Audi R8 V10 Gets a Price Tag

The Audi R8 has proven to be a hit vehicle with enthusiasts. It has all the right ingredients: V-8 power, mid-engined layout and most of all, a more attainable $114,200 price tag compared with it's Italian competition. It's surprising that the car was even able to make it to production, especially given any feared overlap with the R8 and the Lamborghini Gallardo.

They must have figured the halo effect of having the R8 was important to the Audi brand. It certainly has worked out well in that regard! While I'm not a fan of the car's styling, I can appreciate the car for what it is.

For those looking for something even closer to the power of most exotics, Audi is happy to oblige with a higher performance model. Officially called the 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro, it now has a price tag - $146,000, not including a $1,200 destination charge. Whoa, that certainly is moving up the price ladder, isn't it? The R8 V10 is nearly $32K more expensive than the V-8 powered R8! The R-Tronic will run you even more, coming in at $155,100. Ouch!

That $32K extra for the V10 model gets you 105 more horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque, for a grand total of 525 hp and 391 lb-feet. Audi says the V10 used in the R8 is the same unit found in the R8 LMS GT3 racecar and that the V10 clocks a 0-60 time of just 3.7 seconds. To me, the extra cash seems a bit steep but money probably isn't too much of a concern for those purchasing a R8.