The 7 Ultimate V10s

V10s have been around for quite sometime now, but they are a dying breed of engines. They have only powered a limited amount of iconic masterpieces and only a few still utilize this high revving, fire breathing monster. The V10 engine has a lot of character because of its exclusivity and its nature. It has a higher red line, loads of power without needing any aspiration, and the fact that it isn't the smoothest or the best engine from a technical point of view.

V10 engines are less costly to develop, lighter and since they are shorter than straight sixes and smaller than V12, they can fit into smaller supercars like the baby Gallardo. And the sound it makes is so distinctive that you can identify one miles away! However with the V8 engine's better efficiency and similar power output, manufacturers favor it more than the less economical V10s. But here are the cars that chose personality over efficiency.

7. BMW M5 E60

The E60 BMW is arguably one of the most thrilling and exciting M cars that has ever existed, thanks to its whooping 500 horsepower from the BMW Motorsport department's 5.0 litre V10. The car wasn't perfect, but the engine was flawless, you would forgive all its faults just for its engine that would rev upto 8,250 rpm.

6. Audi RS6

Weirdly, VW has been producing more V10-powered road cars than any other company. The second generation Audi RS6 received a 5.0 litre V10 engine. Unlike the 'tame" BMW M5, the RS6 had two turbo chargers aiding the engine to produce a breathtaking 576 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. That was more power than most supercars of its day.

5. Audi S6

The third generation S6 was powered by a 5.2 litre, naturally aspirated V10 engine. Um... that sounds familiar doesn't it? But no, the engine wasn't from a Gallardo. The subtle looks of the makes look like a normal family car, but under the bonnet is 444 horsepowers... Perfect sleeper huh? Unfortunately the V10 was then dropped for a V8.

4. Dodge Viper

With dodge, they have sacrificed the higher redline for better performance. It was powered by a 8.0 litre V10 that produced about 400 horses, yet its able to deliver 465 lb-ft of torque due to its massive engine capacity. It was a pretty good performer both on the straights, and on track with the ACR edition.

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3. Audi R8/Gallardo/Huracan

Perhaps this is the most popular V10 engines out there. Audi and Lamborghini have been sharing the 5.2 V10 engine for quite a while now starting with the Gallardo and the first gen R8 V10. Where Audis with the V10 engines were trailing behind on power, nevertheless, they were ballistic supercars thanks to the Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

2. Porsche Carrera GT

Definitely one of the best looking and sounding Porsches in the world, the Carrera GT earned its reputation form a F1 developed 5.7 litre V10 engine. Not only does it have tons of power(603 of them), but an amazing symphony too. It is one of the best sounding cars ever build.

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1. Lexus LFA

500 units, more than 10 years of development, 10 cylinders produced by Yamaha and 552 horsepower... but these numbers don't really matter. What made this car the best V10 powered machine in my opinion is its engine's howl. The 4.8 litre, lightweight V10 sounds much like a 90s F1 car. It revs from naught to 9,000 rpm in less than a second! Lexus had to make a digital display screen because an analogue rev counter just couldn't keep up. And with that, think that the Lexus LFA is the king of V10 supercars.

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Which V10-powered car is your favorite?