2012 Audi R8 V10 5.2L V10 FSI plus 7AT AWD (550 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Four years after the introduction of the V10-powered R8 supercar, Audi refreshed the entire lineup and improved the car’s appeal with a new look and a new interior.

Initially, the R8 was sold with a V8 engine only, but starting in 2008, the automaker introduced the mighty V10 powerplant carried over from the Lamborghini Gallardo. Fast forward another four years, and with the financial crisis gone, orders started to pile up on Audi’s dealers’ desks. In the meantime, the car manufacturer’s engineers and designers prepared an upgraded R8, which arrived just in time to help customers decide what kind of vehicles they wanted.

Audi wanted to make its refreshed R8 look significantly different than its non-facelifted brother. As a result, it installed new headlights that featured new headlights. These had sharper lines and sported new daytime running lights inside them. Unlike its predecessor, which had them with pearls-like LEDs, the new ones looked like continuous stripes of light. Between the headlamps, the automaker installed a fresh singleframe grille with tapped corners. As a result, its front fascia looked similar to the one installed in its lesser-powered sibling, the R8 V8. Even the three-slatted side scoops that cooled the front brakes were the same, which didn’t happen on the non-facelifted version.

From its profile, this version of the R8 boasted its chromed V10 badges on the front fenders, while the V8 version didn’t have those. The refreshed version got newly designed standard 19-inch alloy wheels, one inch bigger than its lesser-powered sibling. Moving on to the sides, customers found the carbon fiber reinforced plastic panels that covered the side intakes that fed the engine behind the cabin with fresh air. Finally, at the back, the R8 V10 sported three-slatted vents behind the wheels on the rear fascia and round exhausts instead of oval-shaped ones like its predecessor.

Inside, the cabin got richer materials for the high-bolstered bucket seats at the front. It featured standard Alcantara upholstery. As an option, customers could get a set of sports seats with integrated headrests. Fronting the driver was a redesigned instrument cluster that sported a new TFT display between the large speedometer and tachometer. This screen was red in the previous version, while in the 2012 model year, it came with a cleaner, black-and-white one. The center stack housed the infotainment system that was finally compatible with iPods and other music player devices. In addition, it had Bluetooth connectivity. Between the seats, on the center console, the automaker placed the gear stick or the selector for the automatic gearbox.

Behind the cabin, the engine bay housed the same 5.2-liter V10 carried over from its Italian cousin, the Lamborghini Gallardo. Still, while it didn’t provide the same power as the raging bull-badged supercar, it was good for 525 PS (518 hp) that it sent in all corners via either a six-speed manual or a newly developed seven-speed S-tronic gearbox. The new transmission completely changed the car, making it faster and more relaxing to drive.