Audi will discontinue the R8 after the 2023 model year. The supercar has had a phenomenal run, gracing roads and race tracks with poise. A new video shows an older 2016 R8 V10 Plus unleashing all its power and fury on the German Autobahn. It plays a raucous symphony that reminds us of what we’ll miss from our electrified future.
The 2016 Audi R8 packs a 5.2-liter V10 engine behind the passenger compartment. It makes 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet (560 Newton-meters) of torque and can propel the supercar to 62 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds.
It has a top speed of 205 mph (330 kph), which it exceeds in the video. The R8 had little trouble reaching its maximum velocity with the road cleared, and in one attempt, it topped out at 210 mph (338 kph).
This will be the last model year for the supercar, and Audi is saying goodbye with the limited-production 2023 R8 GT RWD. The automaker introduced it late last year as the company’s most potent rear-wheel-drive model ever, with only 150 of the 333 planned for production destined for America.
Powering it is Audi’s 5.2-liter V10 engine that pumps out 602 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque. It can sprint to 60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 199 mph. It’s 55 pounds lighter, too.
Audi introduced the R8 in 2006 for the 2007 model year, spawning two generations over its 16-year run. It went on sale with a 4.2-liter V8 and gained the 5.2-liter V10 option for 2009. The automaker introduced the R8 GT in 2011.
It’s sad to see a car like the R8 end production, but Audi’s lineup might not be without a supercar for long. The company has recently hinted that a third generation of the R8 is possible, and work might already be underway. But it could be two or three years before anything comes to fruition, if not longer.
Until then, we can continue to enjoy the sweet sounds of the R8’s V10 engine before Audi fully replaces exhaust notes with software and speakers. It’s not like the R8s on the road today will disappear anytime soon.
