Celebrate 10 Years Of V10 Awesomeness With The Audi R8 Decennium

The Audi R8 has never been a true dynamic rival to the Porsche 911, but that hasn’t ever mattered. Mostly, because of the engine.

The original 4.2-litre N/A V8 fitted to the supercar was a peach, but it was the introduction of the screaming V10 a little later that signalled the R8’s arrival. Sure, there have been more exciting 10-pot supercars like the Lexus LFA and Porsche Carrera GT, but they didn’t stick around for long, did they?

The R8’s V10, on the other hand, has now been with us 10 years, belting out its memorable soundtrack while most rivals have switched to downsized turbo options. So Audi has decided to celebrate with this: the R8 Decennium.

Deriving its name from the Latin word for ‘decade’, the Decennium is limited to just 222 units. According to Audi, it marks “ten years of fascination on the road and success in motorsport” for the 5.2-litre engine.

It’s based on the R8 ‘Performance’, which means you’ll have 611bhp to enjoy, and a 0-62mph time of just 3.1 seconds. There are no mechanical changes, with the Decennium instead receiving a range of aesthetic tweaks.

It can be specced in the exclusive matte ‘Daytona Gray’ finish, although other colours are available. The milled 20-inch wheels and the V10’s intake manifold are both finished in matte bronze, while the front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and Audi ring badges are all gloss black. As a finishing touch, the side blades and mirror gaps are gloss-finished carbonfibre.

In the cabin you’ll find various gloss carbonfibre trim pieces, a “quilted rhombus pattern” stitched onto the sports seats, an Alcantara steering wheel and a few Decennium logos. It’ll even project the logo onto the floor via the puddle lights. Fancy.

Want one? We don’t yet know how much UK-bound cars will be, but Audi has revealed that the R8 Decennium is €222.000 in Germany.