While Audi has made no secret that it will be releasing a convertible version of its V10-powered R8 at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the German luxury car maker has kept the car under wraps. Even the test mules spotted lapping the Nürburgring were well-masked.

Now, thanks to the intrepid reporters at U.K.’s AutoExpress we may just have an accurate idea of what the drop-top 2010 Audi R8 Spider/Cabriolet/Roadster will look like. These spy photos photos were taken during shooting of an upcoming sequel to the popular Iron Man movie. 

If you recall from the first flick actor Robert Downey Jr. had an Audi R8 in his stable of cars, and if you look closely at these photos you’ll see Downey behind the wheel.

The car is expected to keep the same 525hp, V10 engine as the new coupe but be slightly slower due to the extra weight added to help stiffen up the roofless chassis. In terms of design changes, we can see that the side blades have been removed, showing a more sculpted side to the car, while the rear clamshell gets some aggressive renting.

The R8 Roadster will be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September. 

GALLERY: Audi R8 Convertible

[Source: AutoExpress]

According to two more than one reliable source, Audi is set to unveil the roadster version of its awesome R8 at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September. But that isn’t the only R8 set to debut.

The R8 Roadster will be available in both V8 and V10 versions with 420 and 525 horsepower respectively. 

A drop-top version of the R8 has been in the works for some time and rumors that Audi would build such a car emerged just shortly after the original V8-powered machine launched. Having a convertible version would not only allow the R8 to take on cars like the Porsche Carrera Cabriolet and 911 Turbo Cab, but it would also allow Audi to capitalize on a successful platform by building more (even higher priced R8s) but in a different class of vehicle so the car will retain its exclusivity.

The surprising bit of news is that Audi will be launching yet another version of the R8 – an electric version. This car will no doubt be a concept and will likely see the same fate as the R8 TDI. Still, it will be interesting to see what the Audi engineers can come up with.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport and L'Automobile via Autoblog]

The original V8-powered R8 had only been on the streets for a few days when rumors began to surface about a drop-top roadster version of the exotic Audi. Then Audi threw a curve ball with the 12-cylinder turbo-diesel R8 concept before unveiling the V10-powered monster.

Now that the V10 R8 is on the streets, those drop-top rumors have resurfaced.

The U.K. publication WhatCar? is claiming its sources inside Audi have confirmed a convertible version of the R8. More specifically, it will be a soft top.

If Audi is to build a convertible version of the R8, a soft-top is most likely for many reasons. For starters, as the R8 is mid-engined there really isn’t much room for a hard top. Also, we’ve seen Audi stick to soft tops, even on new models like the A5/S5, due, in part, to the fact that Audi’s are notoriously heavy and adding a complex mechanized hard-top would only add to that problem.

It isn’t clear of the convertible version will use the V8 or V10 powerplant but it is supposed to be in dealerships by 2011. If that is the case, Audi might use the Frankfurt Auto Show in September to give us a peek.

[Source: WhatCar]

Audi has its sights set of the Nürburgring 24 Hour race and it intends to not only take home the top spot but perhaps the entire podium as it has announced plans to campaign a fleet of R8 LMS GT3 cars.

Teams ABT Sportsline and Phoenix Racing will bring two cars apiece with factory support from Audi. The 500hp cars are built for racing and Audi has stacked the deck with a long list of some of the greatest drivers in motorsports.

The No. 100 ABT Sportsline car will be piloted by reigning DTM Champion Timo Scheider, along with his DTM teammate Mattias Ekström and three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner. The second ABT Sportsline car, No. 97, will be driven by Christian Abt, Jean-François Hemroulle, Pierre Kaffer and Lucas Luhr.

As for the two Phoenix Racing  cars, the No. 98 R8 will be driven by Frank Stippler, Mike Rockenfeller and Marc Basseng, a man who has help the Nürburgring fastest lap record several times.

The No. 99 Phoenix Racing R8 will be piloted by Frank Biela, Marcel Fässler, Emanuele Pirro (an Audi Sport R8 and R10 TDI driver) and none other than Hans-Joachim Stuck, a man who has won the Nürburgring 24 Hour race three times.

“The 24 Hours is not only one of the biggest motorsport events in Germany,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “The Nürburgring-Nordschleife is considered one of the world’s toughest and most demanding race tracks. Similar to Sebring for the sports prototypes, it is superbly suited for revealing the final improvement potential of any new race car. This is exactly what we’re planning to do at the 24-hour race before delivering the R8 LMS to customers, starting this fall.”

The 37th running of the Nürburgring 24 Hour race will begin May 23rd and conclude May 24th.

Normally the Nürburgring 24 Hour race is a Porsche dominated affair, but we have a feeling this year might be a little different.

Official release after the jump:

Audi tuner MTM has just launched a new customization program called MTM Individual, allowing customers to personalize their cars to an even higher level. And to show just how particular some customers can be, the first vehicle to undergo full personalization is an Audi R8 that, among other things, has received a coat of bright green Porsche GT3 RS paint. (Is nothing sacred?)

Contrasting with the wild green paint are many gloss black accents, including the side blades, gas cap, brake calipers and wheels. And on the gas cap, the R8 stands out in bright green, as do the words “MTM Forged” on the “Bimoto” wheels, which measure 20×9-inches up front and 20×11-inches in the rear.

Additional exterior highlights include a gloss black front splitter, a black R8 badge on the rear, black mirrors and black finished MTM exhaust pipes.

To back up this wild exterior, MTM has equipped the R8 with it’s supercharger package that pumps up horsepower to 560 ponies and torque to 428 ft-lbs.

Other modifications include the MTM aero kit with a front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser as well as a new “Lift-Up” suspension system that allows for the vehicle to be raised or lowered by as much as 40mm (1.6-inches) at the push of a button.

With the launch of the MTM Individual program, this R8 might just be the tip of the iceberg, so expect to see more wacky creations in the near future.

GALLERY: MTM Individual R8

Official release after the jump:

Audi released all the information on the new V10-powered R8 months ago but until now they have never shown the vehicle – to the press or anyone else for that matter.

The 525-hp version of the R8 was the first of two world premieres at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The other debut was the Sportback Concept vehicle.

The V10 R8 uses the Lamborghini-sourced 5.2-liter V10 engine (the same one found in the LP560-4) to make 525hp at 8000 rpm and 391 ft-lbs of torque at 6500 rpm. This is enough to rocket the R8 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 196 mph.

Thanks to Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system, the R8 is capable of a lateral acceleration of 1.2 gs. Braking is also astounding thanks to eight-piston front brakes.

Audi R8 V10

Complete information and specs on the R8 V10 after the jump:

After over a year of speculation, Audi has finally confirmed it will build a V10-powered R8. The engine, as expected, will be donated from the Lamborghini LP560. It will, however, be somewhat less powerful when shoehorned into the German Gallardo. With 525hp and 391 ft-lbs of torque, the numbers are certainly impressive although not quite the 552hp and 398 ft-lbs found in the LP560.
Audi claims the V-10-powered R8 will rocket to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 196 mph.
Despite the larger engine the V10 R8 will weight just 68 lbs more than the standard model for a total of 3,571 lbs. This engine will feature direct injection as well as a dry-sump lubrication system. Audi also plans to use this engine (with only minor changes) in it’s R8 GT3 race cars starting in 2009.

Highlights include 19-inch wheels, composite brakes, launch control and larger sideblades to feed the V10 engine.

For the full press release click through: