The V10 engine layout is known to be up there with engines like the V12 in terms of exclusivity and performance. It has seldom been used in cars over its entire history, but almost every car that features a V10 becomes an icon eventually.
Not only was this engine configuration rare, it was versatile as well, as manufacturers used it for outright horsepower or even for luxury, like the Volkswagen Toureg. Here is a look at some of the best cars with V10 engines. From German super sedans to Italian supercars, V10 cars have come a long way, and the cars it powered are only being appreciated more and more as time passes.
This article lists some of the best road-legal V10 powered cars ever made. Engine specifications are from the first year they were on sale in the US, if they were sold in America. Pricing and specifications are sourced from the manufacturer and are correct at the time of writing; automakers may change or update this at any time without notice. We list these models from the least to most horsepower.
10
Volkswagen Toureg & Phaeton V10 TDI
Horsepower: 310 HP
2004 VW Toureg & 2002 VW Phaeton Engine Specs
Engine
5.0L Twin-turbo V10
Transmission
6-speed Automatic
Horsepower
310 hp
Torque
553 lb-ft
Drivetrain
AWD
Original MSRP
$57,800
The early 2000s was an era of Volkswagen that was dominated by Ferdinand Piëch’s dreams of elevating the brand to the upper echelons of luxury. As such, it spawned some of the most technologically advanced and frankly bonkers creations. Two such vehicles were the V10-powered VW Toureg and the Phaeton. While horsepower was not the main objective here, their torque and sheer pulling force made them some of the most powerful SUVs/sedans at the time.
Expert
insight
“The Touareg V10 TDI was essentially a showcase for what diesel technology was capable of in the early 2000s. The engine wasn’t particularly frugal, nor did it make a great noise, but it opened the door for VW to make even more powerful turbocharged V8 diesels, one of which actually powered a Bentley Bentayga.”
The engine followed suit to cars that were extremely overengineered, with self-leveling air suspension, four-zone climate control, satellite navigation, etc. While the Phaeton V10 was never sold in the US, the Toureg did make its way to our shores, and gained notoriety for famously towing a Boeing 747 in the UK, as pictured above, because why not?
9
1992 Dodge Viper RT/10
Horsepower: 400 HP
1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 Engine Specs
Engine
8.0L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Manual
Horsepower
400 hp
Torque
465 lb-ft
Drivetrain
RWD
Original MSRP
$50,700
The original Dodge Viper may very well be one of the first implementations of a road-legal V10 engine ever. The problem with being one of the first is the lack of expertise in the specific V10 configuration. As such, Dodge sought help from Chrysler-owned Lamborghini for the engine, and it was originally based on Chrysler’s LA V8 engine. While its massive displacement of eight liters was not very power dense at the time, it certainly separated the Viper from the rest of the V8-powered muscle cars. Over time, the Viper became synonymous with the V10 engine, and the rest is history.
8
2007 Audi S8 V10
Horsepower: 450 HP
2007 Audi S8 V10 Engine Specs
Engine
5.2L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Automatic
Horsepower
450 hp
Torque
398 lb-ft
Drivetrain
AWD
Original MSRP
$92,720
Expert
insight
“The Audi S8 makes this list because we never expected it to handle like a sports car. The RS6 with the same engine was a massive let-down for various reasons, most of them handling related. The S8 didn’t have that image problem, as it was only meant to do fast in a straight line.”
Another example of the V10 being used for luxury was the D3-generation of the Audi S8. Some may say it was a direct answer to BMW’s V10-powered M5, which launched a year earlier and earns its place later on in the article. Audi had the advantage of the backing of the VW group, who had considerable V10 expertise so far. As such, Audi added two cylinders and increased the displacement of its in-house 4.2L V8, with help from the Lamborghini Gallardo’s V10 layout. Paired with quattro all-wheel drive, the S8 was the epitome of an all-weather Autobahn missile, with technology from the future and an interior lined in premium leather. You could find one second hand for a bargain, according to our price trends graph.
7
2004 Lamborghini Gallardo
Horsepower: 493 HP
2004 Lamborghini Gallardo Engine Specs
Engine
5.0L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Manual/Automatic
Horsepower
493 hp
Torque
376 lb-ft
Drivetrain
AWD
Original MSRP
$165,900
Expert
insight
“I loved the Gallardo. It was the first Lambo designed entirely under Audi’s watch, and you could tell. Audi did all of the boring stuff, but Lamborghini made sure the V10 produced the kind of performance and noise supercar owners wanted.”
The first ‘baby’ Lamborghini under VW ownership needed to impress, and the first-generation Gallardo may have knocked it out of the park. Again, Audi’s 4.2L V8 became the blueprint for this V10, which subsequently grew to 5.2L in the Gallardo LP 560-4 and laid the foundations for Superleggera, Performante, Squadra Corse limited editions. It could have been had with a gated manual, which made it a unique driving experience paired with this engine. The pre-LP Gallardo may have been the least powerful Lamborghini V10, but it was a superb success, making a Lamborghini supercar daily driveable while also laying the foundations for the Huracan.
6
2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10
Horsepower: 500 HP
2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 Engine Specs
Engine
8.3L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Manual
Horsepower
500 hp
Torque
525 lb-ft
Drivetrain
RWD
Original MSRP
$45,000
Something was in the air in 2004, because at the same time that an Italian exotic V10 existed, so did a V10 in a pickup truck. Dodge decided to combine the Ram 1500 with the performance of the now-larger 8.3L V10, to make the ultimate truck for outright pace. It sent power only to the rear wheels and was paired with a manual gearbox. While it may not be the most work-efficient truck out there, it could beat most cars in a straight line, which was important, obviously. It had to look the part as well, as it got a hood scoop, lowering springs and a rear spoiler as well. It made very little sense back then, and still may not appease everybody, but the fact that one of the best V10 cars was a pickup truck is truly amusing.
5
2006 BMW M5 E60
Horsepower: 500 HP
2006 BMW M5 E60 Engine Specs
Engine
5.0L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Manual/7-speed Automatic
Horsepower
500 hp
Torque
383 lb-ft
Drivetrain
RWD
Original MSRP
$81,000
BMW’s S85 V10 engine had a redline of 8,250 rpm, which somehow found its way into a four-door sedan. At a time when Formula 1 was also using V10 engines, it made a great sales pitch for the E60 M5 generation, which is also the only generation that got this engine layout. Paired with an SMG torque converter gearbox at first, the company also offered a manual option in 2007 due to high customer demand. With individual throttle bodies, variable valve timings for both the intake and exhaust camshafts, it won Engine of the Year in 2005 and 2006, and cemented the M5 E60 as a candidate for a perfect one-car garage.
4
2010 Audi R8 V10
Horsepower: 525 HP
2010 Audi R8 V10 Engine Specs
Engine
5.2L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Manual/Automatic
Horsepower
525 hp
Torque
391 lb-ft
Drivetrain
AWD
Original MSRP
$146,000
Six years after the original Gallardo and a year after the 5.2L engine update for Lamborghini, Audi introduced the V10 in its supercar, the R8. A similar trend is also being repeated now, with the Nuvolari featuring the same powertrain as Lamborghini’s Temerario. The R8 V10 was a big deal for the brand as it offered significantly better performance over the V8, at a price that undercut its Italian cousin. It made a daily-driveable supercar somewhat accessible to a larger number of people. Combined with quattro all-wheel drive and a gated manual gearbox, it mixed driving pleasure and performance, with a 0–60 mph time of 3.5 seconds.
Expert
insight
“It brought an exotic engine into a realm accessible by the masses, and you could have a gated manual on certain models. It looked AMAZING, and was a truly everyday-usable supercar. People may debate whether the V8 with the manual was actually the better engine pairing for the first-gen R8 – but those people are wrong. V10 is superior.”
While the R8 may have debuted with a V8, the V10 is what truly made its mark, and the second generation being only offered as a V10 showed that the customers loved it too.
3
2012 Lexus LFA
Horsepower: 552 HP
2012 Lexus LFA Engine Specs
Engine
4.8L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Automatic
Horsepower
552 hp
Torque
354 lb-ft
Drivetrain
RWD
Original MSRP
$375,000
One of the most influential engine/car combinations in recent history has to be the LFA. It was the marque’s first production supercar, and featured a sonorous 9,000 rpm engine co-developed with Yamaha. It was a Herculean task of creating a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer chassis and an engine from the ground up, which caused massive delays and made the project extremely expensive. Nevertheless, it featured technology that was never before seen, such as airbags in the seatbelts, or a rev dial that could not be analog as it could not rev fast enough. Surprisingly, Lexus did not immediately sell many LFAs at first, as its asking price was so high. Now, LFAs cost around $1 million and are only appreciating in value.
2
2010 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
Horsepower: 562 HP
2010 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Engine Specs
Engine
5.2L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Automatic
Horsepower
562 hp
Torque
398 lb-ft
Drivetrain
AWD
Original MSRP
$2–3 million
The Sesto Elemento was revealed at the 2010 Paris Motor Show as a track-only hypercar with the infamous 5.2L V10. Originally, Lamborghini intended to produce 20 units, but only 10 or 11 cars were actually sold. It was named after the sixth element of the periodic table, carbon. As such, its monocoque, wheels, driveshaft and suspension were all made of carbon fiber, and it weighed under 1,000 kg (2,204 lbs). The chances of seeing one were extremely limited until recently, when Lanzante offered a road-conversion kit for the Sesto, and the 2026 Monterey Car week saw two Sesto Elementos casually driving on the highway.
1
2004 Porsche Carrera GT
Horsepower: 605 HP
2004 Porsche Carrera GT Engine Specs
Engine
5.7L NA V10
Transmission
6-speed Manual
Horsepower
605 hp
Torque
435 lb-ft
Drivetrain
RWD
Original MSRP
$440,000
A V10 list is incomplete without including the Porsche Carerra GT. An engine that was originally meant for Le Mans, Porsche increased its capacity from 5.5L to 5.7L for the road car. While the engine never raced in reality, its high-revving nature makes it one of the best driving cars in the world, according to many. Combined with a ceramic clutch, it is known for being tricky to master, and costly to maintain. It predated the 918 and the next Porsche supercar, the Mission S, and remains as the only manual V10 ever made by the brand, which is probably all you need to know about its legacy of V10 supercars.
Base Trim Engine
4.2L V8 Gas
Base Trim Transmission
6-Speed Manual
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
430 hp
Base Trim Torque
316 lb-ft @ 4500-6000 rpm
Fuel Economy
11/20 MPG
Base Trim Battery Type
Lead acid battery
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
Sources: Volkswagen, Dodge, Lamborghini, Audi, BMW, Lexus, Porsche
