2016 Audi R8 ups the supercar ante with 610 hp, all-electric edition

In the annals of supercars, the Audi R8 has always suffered from the curse of the tweener. While successful in racing, it's overshadowed by the Le Mans-dominating Audi diesel race cars; inside the Volkswagen empire, the shadow comes from the Lamborghinis that use the same V-10. With Porsche assimilated into VW, there's even more potential for internecine thunder-stealing.

So Audi decided to ensure the new R8 has thunder to spare.

The 2016 model that will be shown live for the first time in Geneva next week hones the R8 into more of a pure sportscar. The V-8 editions are cast out (for now); the only power source is the V-10, either in 540 hp or 610 hp states of tune, equal to what's granted those flashy Italian models. Power runs through a refreshed seven-speed automatic transmission and a bolstered Quattro all-wheel-drive system which will route all of it to either the front or rear axles as called for. And the revised aluminum-and-carbon fiber chassis sheds 110 lbs. from the first generation R8 — a necessary move, as it's the basis for the GT3 race-car edition.

The result: the R8 now hits 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, a half-second faster than before, with a top speed of 205 mph — the fastest car to ever wear the four rings from the factory to the public road.