Audi goes cylinder lobbing: S5 to drop V8, S6 to drop V10

The Audi S5 has been on the market for a little more than a year, and Audi is already hunting down a few cylinders. Inside Line has obtained info that says Audi is downsizing its engine from a 4.2-liter V8 to the S4’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. While the 333 hp V6 represents a 21 hp drop, the expected thirty percent improvement in fuel economy and lighter weight should easily make amends.

But Audi is not finished choppin’ cylinders. Rumors are also circulating that that the S6 and S8 super sedans will drop from a V10 to a twin-turbo 4.2 liter V8.

When all the bloodshed is over this should leave the R8 as the only Audi in North America to have versions with more than eight cylinders (the RS6 is not currently sold in here.) The twin-turbo V10 and diesel V12 are still scheduled to become a part of the R8’s lineup.