Audi could be planning a major change to its R8 supercar

The Audi R8 supercar is one of the last of a dying breed.

Instead of the turbo-charged V6 and V8 engines that power its rivals, the German supercar retains a decidedly old-school, naturally aspirated V10.

On the road, the monstrous V10 snarls and barks like a rampaging animal while offering a virtually unending wave of power.

In short, it's everything you'd want in a supercar engine - and every Audi R8 has one.

However, according to Autocar's Greg Kable, that may be about to change with the potential addition of an entry-level variant powered by a 2.9 liter, turbocharged V6.

Right now, the new second generation Audi supercar is powered exclusively by a two versions of the company's 5.2 liter, V10 engine - in 540 horsepower "R8 V10" and 610 horsepower "R8 V10 Plus" guise.

The powerplant is also shared with Lamborghini's new Huracan supercar.

Unlike, the first generation R8, there's no entry-level 4.2 liter, V8 option. Should the V6, come into fruition, it will take over from the $162,900, R8 V10 as the "beginner" Audi supercar.

A modified version of the Audi-developed 2.9 liter, twin-turbocharged V6 can be found in Porsche's next generation Panamera 4S sedan. Porsche claims the 440 horsepower V6 can propel its 4,000 pound luxury sedan to 60 mph in a swift 4.0 seconds.

That means this little motor is no slouch.

With the V6 mounted behind the driver's compartment, it's reasonable to expect the rumored entry-level R8 to get close to the R8 V10's 3.5-second 0-60 time.

Representatives from Audi were not immediately available for comment.