2019 Audi R8 Announced - Still A V10

Peter Anderson

Oct 25, 2018 — 3 min read

After four years on sale, the second-generation Audi supercar is due for a facelift. The 2019 Audi R8 has more power, torque and a new face.

2019 Audi R8

Like the new face? I do. While I really, really like the R8, it is missing a little bit of drama in the looks. I have rationalised that away on occasions – some of us don’t want to shout about it. But I’m odd that way.

The new face brings some supercar bravado to the table. A new bumper and grille arrangement, as well as a delicate set of slots between bumper and bonnet give the R8 a bit of emotional drama.

The front splitter is more aggressive, too, wider than before. There is more to look at, too.

At the rear, a new grille reaches all the way across and a new bumper and diffuser match the front end’s newfound sense of fun. Both Coupe and Spyder score the new look.

Not much has changed inside and that’s fine by me. Audi says there is some new upholstery, so that’s nice.

2019 Audi R8 Drivetrain

Ooh, baby.

As you already know, you can get the R8 in two flavours, Coupe and Plus. The Plus monicker is gone, now known as the R8 performance (their lower-case p).

The glorious V10 stays, all 5.2-litre of naturally-aspirated brilliance.

For 2019, the coupe now delivers a hearty 420kW (570PS). That’s a hefty increase of 23kW (30PS) and torque is up to 550Nm from 520Nm. More torque equals a higher top speed, too.

The V10 performance hasn’t done as well – power is up to 456kW (620PS) from 448kW (610PS) and torque also rises, now twisting up 580Nm (up 10Nm).

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As ever, Audi’s seven-speed twin-clutch gets the power out to all four wheels. Audi says it has tweaked the ESC system to reduce braking distances from

The RWS has disappeared – for the moment at least.

2019 Audi R8 chassis

Underneath is largely the same, with the usual running changes. The engineering team has tweaked both the dynamic variable rack steering as well as the standard rack for better response and feel. You should be able to better tell the difference between modes as well.

The suspension has come under scrutiny, but there’s no detail apart from the claim that the new R8 will deliver a more “visceral” driving experience. Cool.

As before, the Coupe has three driving modes with the performance picking up Dry, Wet and Snow via an extra dial on the steering wheel.

The ESC system on the top-spec performance has been tweaked too, with stopping distances from 100km/h (62mph) cut by as much 1.5 metres. If you stand on the brakes at 200km/h (124mph), you could stop up to five metres earlier. Nifty.

You can also order a carbon-fibre reinforced polymer front anti-roll bar to cut 2kg from the kerb weight. I wouldn’t bother, it’s pub trivia stuff.

The rumoured Performante rival has not yet materialised.