Audi R8 V10 Bound for U.S.Says Alleged Leaked Memo

A memo allegedly leaked out from Audi of America indicates the Audi R8 V10 will go on sale across the United States. The memo, obtained by our friends over at AutoBlog.com, mentions the extensive media coverage and "overwhelming customer" interest as the key factors in the decision.

Fully pushing the car stateside is not a gigantic surprise since the vehicle made it's world debut in Detroit last January and the very first U.S. spec unit is set to go to auction next week in Florida at the 3rd Annual Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance.

The all-wheel-drive Audi R8 V10 sports car features a 518 horsepower, 5.2-liter engine that produces up to 391 ft-lb of torque. This is the same engine found in the Lamborghini Gallardo (both Lambo and Audi are owned by VW). It is paired with either a six-speed manual or R-tronic six-speed sequential shift transmission. The V10 has a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds, and a top speed of 196 mph.

In the memo, the author sees V10 pricing being $45,000 more than the V8's $114,200 asking price. However, there is a small chance we may see the V10 priced a bit lower. In the U.K., the V10 is about £19,500 more than the V8. That corresponds to a $28,000 price difference, meaning the Audi R8 V10 could go for about $142,000. This also equals about a €22,000 price difference for the U.K. market, versus a €35,000 ($45,000) cost difference in Germany. Perhaps the memo's author took a guess based on currency exchange rates.

At least, we hope he did.

Don't expect to see a rapid release of the car's in the U.S. just yet. Audi is still coping with the high popularity of the V8 models. Many customers of that car still have quite a wait before they can take delivery. U.S. deliveries of the new Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10 could begin as late as January 2010. With a little luck, America may see them starting in October.