First U.S. Bound Audi R8 V10 Sells at auction for $500,000

The first Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10 was sold for $500,000 in a Florida charity auction. The auction was held at the 2009 Boca Raton Concours d' Elegance to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.

Amazingly, the Audi R8 V10 sold for about $350,000 more than its estimated sticker price. It also sold for $150,000 more than the 2010 Ferrari California. That Ferrari will probably have similar U.S. pricing as the Audi.

The person who bought the 525 hp Audi R8 V10 offered the auctioneers the opportunity to re-sell the car a second time to raise even more money if Audi agreed to give him the second U.S. spec R8 V10. Audi agreed, and the second auction raised another $350,000 for a car with a sub-four second 0-100 km/h time.

Aside from the amazing engine, the all-wheel-drive Audi R8 V10 has a lightweight aluminum frame. It has been considered by many to be the most eagerly anticipated car of the last year.

When all was said and done, the auction raised well over $1 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Press Release

The 2009 Boca Raton (Fla.) Concours d' Elegance auctioned the first U.S.-bound Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro with a V10 engine that generates 525 horsepower

• Amid strong bids for the first R8 V10, Audi agreed to auction the second U.S. R8 V10
• The auction raised more than $1 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County

Charity auctions typically offer high-value items to spur bidding that benefits a worthy cause. But what unfolded at the 3rd annual Boca Raton Concours d' Elegance auction really stood out.

The Florida gala to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County featured the opportunity to own the first 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro delivered to the U.S. The newest addition to the highly acclaimed Audi R8 lineup is equipped with a ten-cylinder engine that generates 525 horsepower and achieves a 0-62.14 mph time of 3.9 seconds. The new R8 V10 also offers advanced technologies, such as a lightweight aluminum Audi Space Frame and quattro all-wheel drive, found in the eight-cylinder Audi R8 sports car that claimed several worldwide awards in 2008, including World Performance Car and World Design Car of the Year.

"The live and silent auctions at the Gala always feature amazing items," said James E. McDonnell IV, Chairman of the Boca Raton Concours d' Elegance Event. "But this year we have truly topped the charts. In fact, the auction lineup has made a mark in history by offering one of the most sought after vehicles in the country to guests."

The 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro isn't expected to arrive in the U.S. until about the fourth quarter of 2009. The Gala auction, held Feb 21 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, also featured the chance to buy one of the first 2010 Ferrari California sports cars available in the U.S. But none of that dampened interest in the new Audi R8 V10.

After bids for the Ferrari topped out at $350,000, interest in the Audi R8 V10 drove its final price to $500,000 - a record for any new-production Audi model. In 2007, an Audi R8 sold in a sealed-bid Bergdorf Goodman auction for $425,000.

To raise more money for the Boys & Girls Clubs, the winning bidder at the Boca Raton auction offered to give his rights to the first R8 V10 if Audi would give him the second model available in the U.S. Audi agreed and the two R8 V10 models sold for $850,000 combined. One night, two Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro sports cars, $850,000 in bids to help an organization that helps children find positive influences in life. Overall, the Boca Raton Gala raised more than $1 million in net proceeds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.