Audi R8 ragtop coming, two new powerplants possible

[ekool]

Audi dropped a considerable amount of energy and cash when developing the R8, and, according to the reviews thus far, it's likely to be a hit. If Audi decided not to broaden the R8's offerings, it would be a huge mistake from a financial, marketing and enthusiast point of view. It's practically a given that a drop top variant of the mid-ship coupe will eventually be produced, and according to Autovisie, it will carry the name R8 Spyder and should be released sometime in 2008.

Naturally, some power upgrades are in the not-so-distant future, with the Dutch mag reporting that the 4.2-liter V8 currently employed will be dispatched in favor of the 5.2-liter V10, pulled from the S6 and S8 sedans. The possibility of a 600-horsepower RS8 version, sporting a twin-turbocharged version of the V10, was also mentioned, but we're chalking that up to rampant speculation for the time being.

However, one mill that we would certainly like to see through the glass hatch of the R8 is the six-liter V12 TDI, the same engine found in the Q7 SUV abroad. Whether we would see a high performance oil burner on this side of the Atlantic though, is an open question.

[Source: Autovisie via MotorAuthority]

[L3MAN]

A V10 ragtop would be nice for the summer of 2008

[Paul]

A V10 ragtop would be nice for the summer of 2008

Indeed ... so glad I've put a deposit down for a V10 ... I'll be doing all I can to ensure that it is a convertable/targa top/spyder version ...

[R8RUNNER]

I'll bet it's a hard-top convertable, or Targa similar to the 997.

[L3MAN]

A slide back glass roof like the latest Porsche taga would be nice and neat and still leaves the engine on view. Also the glass roof could be light sensitive at a touch of a button. Best of all worlds then