R8 V10 Decennium, a special edition to celebrate 10 years of the V10 engine from Audi

At the beginning of 2009 Audi launched the naturally aspirated 5,200 cc FSI V10 engine that was introduced for its high-performance R8 model, with an output that at the time reached 525 CV. Over time, the naturally aspirated V10 of the R8 was updated and its performance improved, rising to 550 CV in 2012 to be fitted to the R8 V10 Plus, or even 560 CV in the R8 GT.

By 2015, Audi carried out a thorough revision of the FSI V10 in order to keep increasing its performance, improve its consumption and provide even better sensations for the driver, such as the introduction of intake manifold injection or active cylinder deactivation. It went on sale in two versions delivering 540 CV and 610 CV, and its output was then raised again to 570 CV and 620 CV after its latest update.

Even so, the V10 of Audi is an engine that, although used in a road car, draws on ideas and solutions inherited directly from motorsport, so it is no surprise that the competition versions of the Audi R8 have also enjoyed numerous successes, especially in the GT3 category, where Audi drivers achieved, by the end of 2018 in the R8 LMS GT3, no fewer than 62 race wins and 78 class wins.

Given the successful combination that the brand of the four rings has achieved over these 10 years, both with the competition R8 and the road version, it is no surprise that the 5.2 V10 FSI engine holds a very special place within Audi. To celebrate this tenth birthday, Audi could have come up with no better idea than commemorating it with a special edition, obviously with the R8 as the star and with the Latin word Decennium as its name.

This special edition of the Audi R8 V10 Decennium will be available only as a coupé, with exterior and interior details that will make it unique. Starting with the exterior, the R8 V10 Decennium has been painted in the exclusive Daytona Grey in matt effect, which is complemented by several details in other colours as contrast: the front spoiler, side skirts and rear diffuser are in gloss black; the Audi rings are in black; the side side blades and the mirror housings are in gloss carbon fibre; while the 20-inch wheels and the engine intake manifold are in matt bronze.

Inside, when the doors are opened, lights will project the Decennium name and the number of the unit onto the floor. Once inside, we see that black is the main protagonist, blending perfectly with the carbon fibre as a supporting element, while other colours such as gloss black appear in the diamond pattern of the seat upholstery with copper-coloured stitching, a colour that also appears in the stitching of the armrest, door panels, steering wheel and gear selector lever, the latter being upholstered in Alcantara leather.

Mechanically, as it could not be otherwise, it houses the 5.2 FSI V10 engine in its 620 CV version, with a torque of 580 Nm, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 331 km/h. It also has a combined consumption of 13.1 l/100 km and CO2 emissions of 297 g/km. Only 222 units will be built, which will begin to be sold from next spring, coinciding precisely with the market launch of the new Audi R8.