Audi brings out its biggest gun

The company calls it the "ultimate brand ambassador" but only plans on selling 10 per year. The V10-powered version of Audi's R8 supercar has arrived in Australia this week alongside the A5 Cabriolet range.

Although the company's first attempt at a supercar, the R8 V8 has been a hit locally with 150 already finding homes since its launch in 2007. That is enough to make Australia the biggest market for the car in the Asia-Pacific region according to Audi Australia managing director, Joerg Hofmann.

"The R8 V8 has been very successful in Australia, so much so that we have been securing additional production from other markets to fill our waiting lists," Hofmann said. "This new V10 version will certainly prove popular with an exclusive number of customers who want blistering performance, combined with head-turning design and the vast benefit offered by our vehicle, which is everyday versatility."

But all that performance comes at a price with the R8 V10 range starting at $351,000 for the six-speed manual and $366,990 for the R tronic (both prices are manufacturer list prices and don't included statutory charges).

Hofmann said the company has already taken several orders and expects to sell 10 examples of the V10 by the end of the year. He revealed around half of those 10 will come from existing R8 V8 owners, while the other half will come from traditional supercar brands such as Porsche and Lamborghini.

In addition to the 10 V10 sales Audi expects the V8 model to continue to sell at a rate of 20 per year.

The other news from yesterday's launch was the addition of the A5 Cabriolet line-up. Replacing the A4 Cabriolet in the range, the new drop-top comes with three engine options -- a 155kW 2.0 TFSI, 176kW 3.0 TDI and 195kW 3.2 V6 FSI.

All models are fitted with Audi's trademark Quattro all-wheel drive system and are only available with a seven-speed S tronic double-clutch transmission.

Pricing starts at $94,900 for the 2.0 TFSI, which is a major jump from the previous entry point on the A4 Cabriolet line-up of $77,000 for the front-wheel drive 1.8 Turbo. Audi Australia officials were bullish when quizzed about the dramatic change, noting the significant specification differences between the two cars.

But that didn't stop them leaving the door open for a possible downward expansion later on, while stopping short of actually admitting any plans was in the works.

"First you launch the car and then who knows what happens over the lifecycle," Hofmann said.

Thanks to its fuel economy figure of 6.8L/100km the TDI is able to take advantage of the Luxury Car Tax concessions to come in at $112,500 -- below the 3.2 V6, which starts at $116,500.

Audi revealed sales targets of 150 before the end of 2009 with 250 per year after that. Half those buyers are expected to choose the 2.0 TFSI with 30 per cent opting for the diesel.

The A5 Cabriolet bucks the recent trend by its rivals -- most notably the BMW 3 Series convertible and the Lexus IS 250C -- by sticking with a traditional fabric roof.

"It's the Audi way of sticking with the classic soft-top," said Anna Burgdorf, general manager of corporate communications.

Audi also claims this is a major benefit for the car because of its light weight, extra boot space and speed of operation. The roof can open in 15 seconds, close in 17 seconds and be operated at speeds up to 50km/h.

The three model line-up brings Audi's total number of new models launched so far in 2009 to 20 but it won't stop there as you can see below.

Race to the finish: new Audis coming in the final quarter of 2009

Audi TT RS coupe -- October
Turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder
250kW and 450Nm
0 to 100km/h 4.6 seconds

Audi Q7 V12 diesel -- October
Twin turbo 6.0-litre V12 diesel
368kW and 1000Nm
0 to 100km/h 5.5 seconds

Audi S5 Cabriolet -- November
Supercharged 3.0-litre V6 (S5 coupe stays with 4.2 V8)
245kW and 440Nm
0 to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds

A5 sportback five-door hatch -- first quarter of 2010
Likely to be available with the same three engines as the A5 convertible released this week: 2.0 turbo petrol, 3.2 V6 petrol, 3.0 turbo diesel. All come with all-wheel-drive and seven speed transmission.

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