An iPhone ring tears me out of a state that’s a bit of a mash-up, mixing sheer bliss with hyperawareness of my surroundings. My mobile’s the last thing on my mind as I sit at the flat-bottomed wheel of the new Audi R8 V10, having just manhandled a fantastic canyon road on the way to driving nirvana. Car after car of Napa Valley commuters willingly moved aside for me to pass by in a wake of throaty baritone V10 growl. Now that was over all too quickly. My mobile was shrilly, calling me back to reality as it sat vibrating in the cupholder.

“Hey.”

It was European Car’s Karl Funke at the wheel of a brand new S4 behind me. “Want to go back through?”

Not long ago we’d been plodding along some of the most boring roads in the Napa Valley. Sure, they were lined with picturesque vineyards with rows upon rows of perfect grape plants straight out of a cheesy tourism pamphlet, but the intrigue of the tarmac was nothing to write home about. Then, all of a sudden, things changed. The vineyards disappeared. Our boring road turned into a winding canyon pass. We’d hammered through curve after curve, changing elevation, slicing left, slicing right – cliffs enough to make you think twice about pushing hard, yet let you know that no CHP would have room to set a trap.

“Definitely!” is my obvious answer to Karl. We’ve pulled off onto the side of the road and I quickly flip a U-turn and head back the other way. Our intent is to swap cars at some point and I’m hoping I can commit to the return pass before he can argue. Funke will get to return the way we just came, but for now I am clear for a fly-by going back the other direction.



I have to admit, I’ve been curious about the R8 V10 since rumors of the deca-cylinder sportscar began to surface. Who hasn’t been? The Volkswagen Group’s engine boss Dr. Wolfgang Hatz told me some months ago that the V8 is great, but the V10 is simply on another level. And, when you’re the mad mind behind great mills such as the four-banger in the E30 M3 and the power plant from the Opel Calibra DTM program that won in its first and only season? Well, people like myself tend to listen. Hatz is that guy and my ears were tuned.

I was listening again in the parking lot of the Carneros Inn not more than twenty minutes ago. I’d just fired up the R8 and gave it a quick throttle blip. Like the V8 version, the revs come on immediately thanks in part to a featherweight fly wheel. The cacophony that ensued was unlike any Audi V10 I’d heard before – angrier, louder. Where the 4.2 sounds almost sensual in comparison, the V10 is sultry, but with a mean streak.

In the earlier part of the ride, the stop-and-go parts filled with traffic, red lights and 35-mph speed limits, the R8 felt docile. Frankly, I motored along pondering why I’d pay the extra money. At a base price of $146,000, my current Sepang Blue R8 5.2-liter steed costs $34,200 more than its V8 equivalent. In traffic I wondered just what that extra $34K was all about.



Of course there are the visible changes. The R8 5.2’s differences are subtle but significant. A more aggressive nose and DTM-inspired rear valance are paired with sharper side sills and a bulging side blade that slices off more air as it slips alongside the R8’s curvature. Even more subtle, the massive air vents below the headlights and taillights feature one less vertical slat for better flow.



Audi brand design boss Stefan Sielaff once explained his differentiation amongst the various Audi family branches. A-cars get gloss black grilles with horizontal bars. S-cars get grey grilles with vertical, chrome struts. RS-cars get their soccer-ball-like hexagons. And, cars both gluttonous and insane (but in a good way), such as the A8 W12, Q7 V12 TDI and our R8 5.2 FSI get gloss black grilles with the chrome vertical struts. He didn’t actually call the latter group by those adjectives, but we think they’re suitable descriptors.



The R8 5.2 also gets bespoke split five-arm wheels with distinctive machined faces and dark inner segments. The tuning fork-like spokes help the alloys to resemble earlier Audi wheel designs like those on the S6, though with a much wilder look. We find reactions mixed among enthusiasts, though must admit the wheels look much better in person than they do in photos.



Now seemingly standard issue on performance Audis, the R8 5.2 FSI gets chrome V10 badges on the front quarter panels. They’re a touch that’s almost a too luxurious for such a performance-minded car, and there’s a voice somewhere in my brain that thinks they’d look cooler somewhere in the mid-rear area emphasizing the engine’s mid-placed orientation.

Inside, subtle upgrades continue. Red rings surround the ‘V10’-labeled speedo, tach and shifter map on the alloy knob of our R8’s gated manual shifter. Some optional equipment from the R8 4.2, such as the Bang & Olufsen sound system, is now standard. Other add-ons, such as the great-looking carbon fiber interior trim, are still options and will still set one back the price of a good MacBook or two.



Given the tailored level of detail R8 owners demand, there’s plenty from the quattro GmbH catalog to choose from in order to make your R8 your R8. Our tester wasn’t light on this sort of kit. Extras included the aforementioned Sepang Blue Pearl Effect paint ($650), Carbon Fiber Engine Compartment Trim ($3,600), Enhanced Leather Package ($3,500), Carbon Fiber Sigma Interior Inlays ($2,500), Carbon Sigma Sideblade ($2,300) and a Black Alcantara Headliner ($1,300). Tack on a destination charge ($1,200) and Gas Guzzler Tax ($3,000) and our R8 5.2 FSI as-tested stickered at $164,050.00.

Enough about costs though, as I’m back on the canyon road going the opposite direction and, even better than motorists letting me past, my path is wide open. There’s much familiarity in the R8. It’s steering is communicative, fast and precise. Its low center of gravity and incredible chassis layout make it unlike any other Audi currently offered. It’s as comfortable as a TT, yet so much more potent and agile. I stab the throttle and hear the call of the real reason for the upcharge on the window sticker.



It’s all about the V10 - a new and unique offering in the Audi stable. Ingolstadt has again employed its high-rev philosophy for the R8’s V10, beefing the unit up with forged rods, aluminum pistons, dry sump lubrication and a host of other upgrades that allow the engine to spin past 8,000 rpm. Of course, the engine uses FSI direct injection, which not only adds power but also helps this supercar to achieve a respectable 12 mpg city and 20 mpg highway.

Most owners (who are we kidding—all owners) though will look right past fuel economy numbers in search of performance and they’ll find 525 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. That is enough power to qualify this V10 for the 100+hp per liter club. It’s also enough to rocket the R8 5.2 FSI from 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds and also hit 196 mph on a long and polizei-free enough length of German autobahn or desert highway.



Having read many reviews of the car following its European launch and particularly the UK press, the Brits had me wondering if the added weight of the V10 killed the car’s dexterity and lithe persona. It’s been about a month and a half since I’d last driven an R8 4.2, but for the life of me I can barely perceive the added weight and, frankly, the 44:56 weight distribution of the 5.2 is identical to the original 4.2 version. Audi Sport’s Allan McNish will later tell me that there’s only 30 kg difference (66 lbs.). That’s about a half of an Allan McNish for reference, and he’s a pretty light fellow.

McNish and company would set up the next day at nearby Infineon Raceway, giving thrill rides and where I’d get a second stab at the car. What I would eventually find out then is what I am beginning to learn now cutting back through the canyon; it’s heavier, but the car has by no means lost its balance.

Brake modulation and feel remains the same as the 4.2. Even on the track at Infineon it takes a lot of work to earn any sort of fade in the pedal. For now, Audi’s carbon ceramic brake option is still a Euro-only affair though Audi of America is seriously studying the idea adding them to the R8 options list. And, while the ceramics may be better for extended track use, we’ve found they’re not so easy to modulate on the street, not to mention that they’re wildly expensive.



And then it happens. The roads straighten again as I exit the canyon from the same place I’d entered it. I reluctantly swing into a parking lot to hand over the R8 to Mr. Funke and let him have a turn. It’s hard to give it up and, after two runs through this particular canyon, I think I’ve made my decision as to whether this car is worth the premium.

Okay, for the most practical, paying the extra dollar equivalent of a base A4 will never be worth it. Then again, this car is not for the most practical no matter how civilized and un-supercar-like it may act in stop-and-go traffic. Our guess is that anyone who can both afford an R8 and would consider the V10 isn’t too concerned about the premium. If they cared about better fuel economy they’d buy an A3 2.0 TDI and if they really were worried about genuine lightness they’d buy a Lotus Elise (or four). The R8 remains one of the best supercar buys on the market and, in the end, the V10 only elevates that claim and lends further to its exotic nature. R8 owners get this and that’s one reason many current R8 owners already have their orders placed for the V10.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Fourtitude has included two of our own videos from the Audi R8 launch in Napa, California. The first is a quick ride of two laps around Infineon Raceway with Allan McNish as he shows us what the car can do and compares it to the R8 4.2 with a V8. The second video is more to get a feel of the sites and sounds of what we experienced and it's a piece created by Fourtitude reader, contributor and budding film maker Jason Crouch and his startup Toybox Media."