The V configuration 10-cylinder engine has always stood out as one of the most desireable engine choices. There may not be many, but some might argue that every V10 car is good; you cannot say the same for V8s and V12s. Always managing to sound good, making enough power to do anything as quick as possible and always begging for a service, the V10 will always be loveable.
However, some cars truly excelled with this engine configuration. These machines came and left in almost no time, and left us drooling. Here’s a list of these legendary cars that came with a V10 and reminded us why we love cars.
Lexus LFA
The Lexus LFA took years worth of development and costed up to 1 billion dollars in just development for Toyota. AKio Toyoda’s one single goal was to make the best supercar in the world in every way, especially to make a supercar better than the Italians. So, what did Toyota do? They put 1 billion dollars into the Lexus LFA project and asked Yamaha to make the best-sounding engine in the world.
The Result? A 4.8-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine that made 553 HP and sounded so unbelievably good that it got a tagline “the best sounding car ever made”. But most people don’t realise that it wasn’t the engine that this supercar aced, but the rest of the engineering was awesome as well.
The LFA Nurburgring edition had become the fastest car at it’s time around the Nurburgring at 7:14. The body of the car was made out of micro glass bubble induced reinforced material that saved a lot of weight. The interior was so perfectly luxurious and driver-focused, yet the LFA still failed to sell due to its high price which was even higher than the Lamborghini Aventador at the time.
BMW M5 E60
Following the success of the E39 M5, which remains the best M5 generation to date, BMW equipped the new M5 with an even larger engine. Introduction of the S85 engine amused every BMW fanboy as the concept of a V10 engine in a sedan was already crazy enough. Debuted with a 5.0 Litre naturally aspirated V10 engine making 500 Horsepower than could take 5 people from 0-100KM/H in just 4.5 seconds.
But the BMW M5 didn’t get all the good hype, as it was being widely regarded as an ugly downgrade coming from the iconic E39 M5, but today the customers have started to appreciate the E60 and the used market value of the E60 is appreciating. The E60 is one of the most legendary BMW’s of all time all because of the philosophy behind it.
Lamborghini Huracan
Launched in 2014, replacing the outgoing Gallardo V10, the Lamborghini Huracán is one of the most successful Lamborghini supercars of all time. The Huracán debuted with a 5.2-litre V10 engine that made 610 HP with the debut model called the LP 610-4. The Huracan was a lot of supercar for relatively a cheap price compared to its rivals.
The Huracan was an instant hit and sold all the way until 2024. It got updated over the years with the launch of several iconic variants such as the Performante and the Sterrato. The Huracan now is replaced by the Lamborghini Temerario which has not been properly reviewed yet. The Huracan will go down as one of the best V10 supercars of all time.
Dodge Viper
The Viper was introduced in the year 1992 as one of the most dangerous sports car of all time. This car was more of a widow-maker than the original 911 Turbo. No ABS, no air bags, no traction control, rear wheel drive and a massive 8.0 litre V10 engine that made 400 Horsepower. It was way too much for any regular driver to handle.
The Dodge Viper went on to have 5 generations and was finally discontinued in 2017. It had gained a reputation for being one of the rawest sports cars money could buy. The ACR models were also popular as track versions of the regular Viper that also made quite an impression on the Nurburgring.
Audi R8
The first generation of the Audi R8 was launched in 2007 with a V8, but two years later the Audi R8 got the Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V10 engine that made the R8 an icon. The V10 was offered all the way uptil 2023, and the Audi R8 had become one of the cheapest supercars offering a V10 engine.
The R8 was traditionally much better than its cousin, the Huracan and the Gallardo. The R8 had a timeless design, a timeless interior, and since its debut, it has come with timeless power, which is considered fast even today. The R8’s philosophy will be a great one, and although there are rumours of an R8 comeback, the chances are unlikely.
Verdict
In modern day, as of now, there are no production V10-powered cars for sale. All V10 engines have either been discontinued or downsized due to rising regulations and emission problems. Although there are a lot of other remarkable V10-powered cars, such as the Audi S8 V10 and the Volkswagen Phaeton, these have also been killed off due to the same reasons. Surely, the V10 engine will be one of the most missed engine configurations of all time.
