Audi’s long-rumored V10-powered R8 appears to be in the home stretch as a lone photographer spotted a near-production example of the V10 supercar sitting outside of Audi’s quattro GmbH headquarters. Unlike the prototypes that burned to the ground, the production version is expected to use a naturally-aspirated V10.

Though sporting two more cylinders and a little more grunt mid-ship, the V10-powered R8 will largely resemble the “base” model, as the pictures from AudiBlog.nl show.

More air will be fed to the ten-cylinder through larger side scoops, which jut out sharply from the body-side, adding a more aggressive stance to go with its increased power. The lower side sill also gets an extra flare which runs along the wheelbase, adding further visual cues that this is the true uber-Audi. The changes are subtle enough to be obvious only to those in-the-know, thus keeping the R8’s clean lines as uncluttered as possible.

However, some subtle changes from the standard R8 will include:

- 2 x 1 exhaust pipes instead of 2 x 2
- Bigger side air intakes
- Different grill layout in the front bumper (2 strut instead of 3) and rear bumper (2 strut instead of 4), allowing greater airflow — both in and out — for the engine
- Larger brakes

The R8 badge on the back of the car also indicates Audi will market the V10-powered car under the same nameplate as the V8-powered car, silencing rumors that the car would be badged as the R10 or RS8.

The R8 V10 should hit dealer showrooms sometime next year with output in the 500 horsepower range.