Audi has given its top-of-the-line R8 a kick in the pants by introducing a 5.2-litre V10 engine.

The R8 V10, due to be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show, is the result of cumulative know-how from Audi's string of Le Mans victories. Its naturally aspirated engine combines racing technology such as dry sump lubrication with FSI gasoline direct injection.

The lump in the production sports car will be almost identical in construction to the one in the racing version. Its displacement is 5204cc, at 6500 rpm it delivers 530Nm of torque, at 8000rpm its power tops out at 386kW.

The specific power output is 100.9hp per litre of displacement — and each hp has to propel 3.09kg of weight, because the Audi R8 V10 in the version with the six-speed manual gearshift weighs 1620kg. The engine accounts for 258 of these kilograms — that's only 31kg more than the V8.

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro powers from zero to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds. In the version with the sequentially shifting R tronic it reaches 200km/h in another 8.1 seconds en route to a top speed of 316km/h.

But back to that dry sump lubrication, which allows the engine to be mounted low within the chassis. The wide cylinder angle of 90 degrees also makes for a low centre of gravity. The crankcase is a high-strength aluminium-alloy casting, while the connecting rods are made of forged steel, the pistons of aluminium. The four camshafts are chain-driven and each is adjustable through 42 degrees. This provides great latitude in controlling the valve timing. In combination with the straight, flow-optimized ducts of the intake manifold, this improves the charge throughout the entire speed range.

The R8 5.2 FSI quattro has a six-speed manual transmission as standard. The sequential R tronic is available as an option with shifting times of usually less than one-tenth of a second. When the driver actuates the Launch Control program by pressing a button, the R8 V10 takes off with electronically controlled tyre slip.

Its mid-engine design provides an axle load distribution of 44 to 56 percent.

The wheel suspensions on dual aluminum 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 with tyre sizes being 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 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.

In the R8 V10, deceleration is provided by a braking system featuring eight brake pistons at the front and four at the rear to grasp the brake disks, which are ventilated and perforated. The brake disks on the front axle have a diameter of 380mm; the rear discs span 356mm.

The R8 5.2 FSI quattro is optionally available with a ceramic brake system whose disks are made of a composite material containing high-strength carbon fibres and abrasion-resistant silicon carbide. These are especially light: their combined weight is nine kilograms (19.84 lb) less than the weight of equivalent steel disks. The ceramic brakes can easily cope with the harsher requirements of racing, won't corrode, and have a typical service life of 300 000 kilometres. Their calipers are painted charcoal gray and emblazoned with the inscription "Audi ceramic".

Typically Audi

The design of the Audi R8 has already impressed, as evidenced by the double victory in the "World Car of the Year Awards 2008". In the ten-cylinder model, the styling has been sharpened up more.

The front air inlets, which feed air to the coolers, and the lip of the front apron are painted in high-gloss black. The number of cross-braces has been reduced from four to two. The vanes of the single-frame grille have a striking chrome finish.

A very distinctive highlight of the R8 V10 are the all-LED headlights as standard equipment. Audi is the world's first automaker to use LEDs for the high beam, low beam, daytime running lights, and indicators.

Special details also distinguish the body of the R8 V10. Its sideblades are more accentuated than in the eight-cylinder version. The side sills are more striking and wider; the exhaust grilles at the rear windows have a matt aluminium look. Through the large rear window, the ten-cylinder engine is clearly visible.

When in motion, this Audi high-performance sports car creates a downforce that keeps it in firm contact with the road — thanks to a rear spoiler which deploys automatically at 100km/h and the fully enclosed underbody, which terminates in a sharply upward-curved diffuser. The dominant colour at the rear end is high-gloss black, including the settings of the LED tail lights. The air outlets at the rear end also have only two cross-braces, and the exhaust system terminates in two large oval tailpipes.

The body of a sports car must be especially lightweight and rigid. Audi meets these requirements with the technology of the Audi Space Frame (ASF) and its aluminium construction. The body-in-white of the R8 V10, which includes an engine frame made of ultra-light magnesium, weighs only 210kg. The body is composed of profile extrusions, sheet aluminium and complex gusset castings, all held together by 99m of welding seams, 782 rivets, and 308 special screws.

The interior is described as "racing ambience at the luxury level". Its dominant element is the so-called monoposto — a wide arc that contains the steering wheel and the cockpit. But this supercar is also built for everyday use.

Its spacious interior is made possible by the long wheelbase of 2.65m, while visibility too is surprisingly good: slender hinge pillars optimise the obliquely forward field of view. Another advantage for convenient everyday use is the luggage space: 100 litres fit under the front hood, another 90 litres can be stowed behind the seats. There is also room for two golf bags.

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro combines its performance with standard equipment like heatable seat covers made of Fine Nappa leather, a driver information system, the navigation system plus and the Bang & Olufsen sound system along with deluxe automatic air conditioning and an alarm system. The instruments and the gearshift knob are decorated with red rings; the footrests and the rocker switches of the R tronic have an aluminium finish.

The list of options includes the Audi parking system advanced with its integrated rearview camera.