The Audi R8 will forever be renowned as the flagship of the German automaker and their slogan, “Vorsprung durch Technik”, meaning “Progress through Technology” is more evident than ever in their line of R8’s. While Audi decided 2 vastly different trim levels of their latest supercar would best serve the consumer, the most elite drivers chose the V10.
I have read time and time again that the V10 was built to make you feel special, while the V8 was built around driving experience. Yet, I have come to my own conclusion: anyone that states the V8 is the true driver’s car, must not have had their V10 Audi R8 VR Tuned.
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This is not to say the Italian engineers at Lamborghini didn’t do an absolutely marvelous job with Audi’s 5.2-liter V10 (yes you read that correctly), but they left so much on the table because they weren’t just going to let Audi have their cake and eat it too. It’s all-too-common knowledge that the R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo share an engine. However, what’s less commonly known or understood is the concept of de-tuning. Typically, when automotive manufacturers share power plants, the borrower will often get a de-tuned version to justify the price difference and fund the R&D of the originator. Changing as few items as possible to restrict performance is the name of the game, and the easiest way to achieve this is through ECU mapping. See Ferrari and Maserati as reference.
However, enthusiasts like the team here at Vivid Racing believe you should get what you pay for and we’re in the business of doing just that. Our VR Tuned ECU flash is designed to bring your V10 R8 out of the paddock and place you aggressively ahead of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Producing 525hp and 391ft/lbs of torque was impressive, but our guy Dan said those were rookie numbers. So we filled the R8 with 91 octane and hit the dyno on a summer day and still managed to extract over 600hp and 439ftlbs of torque from this borrowed heart with no bolt on modifications. Once we paired our VR Tuned Flash with the BMC Carbon Racing Air Filter and Kreissieg F1 Valvetronic Exhaust, we found ourselves in Huracan Evo territory, so it’s pretty clear that your V10 wants to eat. If your R8 is looking for a meal fit for a king, VF Engineering is serving up Aventador level torque, at a fraction of the price of an Aventador without sacrificing the character of the R8, with their VF750 Roots-Style supercharger system, but that’s a story for a different track.
So if your R8 just isn’t doing it for you anymore, don’t sell the car, VR Tune it. For anything else you need to get the most out of your R8, shoot me an email direct at iori@vividracing.com and we’ll get you on the podium.
Product Featured: VR Tuned ECU Flash Tune Audi R8 V10 5.2L
