Editor's note: This article was originally published March 20, 2018. We're re-publishing it because this rumor seems to have sprung up again. It's still not true. Audi still has no plans to make a V6-powered R8. See our original story, from March, below.

Rumors of a V6-powered Audi R8 have been swirling around the car internet for a few months now. Audi hasn't sold an entry-level R8 since the V8 version died in 2015, and the rumor seemed to hold that the new 2.9-liter V6 used in the RS5 would find its way into the mid-engine performance car. The rumor stops here: It's not happening.

When asked about the future of the R8, an Audi spokesperson told R&T unequivocally that "there is no V6 planned for the R8." So, that leaves the 540-hp R8 V10 as the bottom spec for Audi's mid-engine supercar.

Rumors of a V6-powered R8 seem to have started in Februrary 2015, a month before the second-generation R8's debut. Roland Schala, technical lead for the R8, told Top Gear "the V6 is a perfect engine for this kind of car. We have a lot of potential with the V6." A year later, a supposed Audi future product outline showed up on Autoblog (via AutoBahn.eu), seeming to indicate a V6-powered R8 would launch in 2018.

Given this, it seems possible that Audi at least considered a V6 R8. It doesn't matter now, however, since according to our source, the car definitely isn't happening.

This news comes not long after Audi R&D chief Peter Mertens said that the R8 might not get a third generation at all. Mertens did note that the current R8 "has a long life" and recent spy photos seem to indicate that a facelifted version is on its way.

In any case, Audi Sport has its hands full, with more high-performance SUVs to come, and its first all-electric model, the e-Tron GT confirmed to arrive in 2020.

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