Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro (Mk I) specs

Car type	Coupe
Curb weight	1560 kg (3439 lbs)
Introduced	2006
Origin country	Germany

Performance

0 - 40 kmph	1.3 s
0 - 50 kmph	1.8 s
0 - 80 kmph	3.4 s
0 - 100 kmph	4.3 s
0 - 130 kmph	7.7 s
0 - 180 kmph	13.0 s
0 - 200 kmph	14.9 s
Estimate  1000 m	23.6 s @ 242.0 kmph
Estimate 100 - 200 kph	10.6 s
0 - 60 mph	3.9 s
0 - 100 mph	9.9 s
0 - 150 mph	27.5 s
Est. 1/8 mile	8.7 s @ 96.9 mph
1/4 mile	12.5 s
Est. 1/2 mile	20.3 s @ 141.7mph
Est. 1 mile	33.3 s @ 167.8mph
Top speed	301 kmph (187 mph)
Estimate maximum  acceleration	0.72 g (7 m/s²)
60 mph - 0	29 m (96 ft)

Powertrain specs

Engine type	V8
Displacement	4.2 L (256 ci)
Power	420 ps (414 bhp/ 309 kw)@ 7800 rpm
Torque	430 N-m(317 lb-ft)@ 6000 rpm
Power / liter	100 ps (99 HP)
Power / weight	269 ps (266 bhp)/ t
Torque / weight	276 Nm (203 lb-ft)/ t
Transmission	6 speed manual
Layout	Middle engine, All wheel drive

The V10-powered Audi R8 is officially good for 317km/h and qualifies as a paid-up member of the supercar club with a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 3.9 seconds. It is fast in every gear, all the time.

But it will take a cashed-up buyer to put one in the garage, with a starting price of $351,000, or $366,900 with the R-tronic manu-matic gearbox.

The other bad news is just as blunt: Audi Australia is only expecting 10 cars and it has names against all of them.

"We want to attract customers who are intrigued by the R8 … but were waiting for the V10," says Immo Buschmann, marketing chief of Audi Australia. "The R8 V10 is already a very good car, but it's good to refresh the R8 and introduce a new level. "That level comes thanks to a 5.2-litre V10 engine with a romping 386 kiloWatts and 530 Newton-metres of torque.

It's a huge increase over the 4.2-litre V8, which was snitched from the S4 for use in the mid-engined rocket. It's a similar engine to the one used in the Lamborghini Gallardo, although not as tautly tuned as the Italian car.

Still, it has huge grunt from the time you turn the key and a fantastic engine note which is unique to the car.

Car nuts will pick the V10 by its all-LED front lamps, a slightly different grille and oval exhaust pipes − which replace the four-pipe exhaust on the V8.

Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro Driving

The new Audi R8 is a genuine road rocket that confirms all the promise of the V8. It is more muscular where it counts, with instant urge in every gear, as the V10 lifts the package from fast to superfast.

Accelerate from 80km/h and it's easy to get the traction-control light blinking, even on dry bitumen. It's that sort of car. The sound is terrific, too, with a guttural bark that reaches its peak as the tacho needle twists past 7000 revs on the way to the 8700 redline.

Audi Australia is previewing the R8 V10 today at Lakeside Raceway in Queensland, where its speed is far beyond the ability of ordinary drivers. It easily tops 210km/h down the front straight and tips 200 again at another spot at the back of the swooping, curving course.

Driven back-to-back with the regular Audi R8 − with only a V8 − it is up to 20km/h faster at some points and never seems to run out of puff and push.

The single test car has a six-speed manual transmission , and would probably be quicker and easier to drive with the R-Tronic, but that's a minor point unless you're buying.

The real shock comes when you drop back to the pocket-rocket S3, which has 188 kiloWatts on its own.

It is swift and fun on the road, but compared to the R8 V10 at Lakeside it is slow and ponderous and unresponsive. Yes, the V10 makes the Audi R8 just that good.