Just yesterday, Quattro GmbH director Wener Frowein has revealed that the Audi R8 prototypes destroyed by fire earlier this year — three in all — were RS8 test mules fitted with the same 580 horsepower twin-turbo V10 found in the Audi RS6 Avant, and today more information has surfaced on the highly speculated car.
The twin-turbos on the test cars created too much heat for the mid-engine setup, causing the engine to overheat and catch fire. Frowein revealed that Audi has since abandoned the twin-turbo setup — opting for a naturally aspirated V10 rated at about 500 horsepower — but the engine is not being sourced from VW’s Lamborghini division.
Instead, Evo magazine says that Audi will start from scratch with the engine and it will actually be an evolution of the V8 found in the RS4. Sources also indicated that the engine’s output will be in the neighborhood of 520 horsepower.
No word on when we will see the V10-powered RS8, but a January debut at the Detroit Auto Show is still possible, although not likely.
