2016 Audi R8 V10 Plus Thrashes AMG GT S and C63 S in Drag Race

Considering that the Audi R8 has a bigger engine with more power and is the only one here with all-wheel-drive, the outcome is predetermined. However, the way in which the quattro machine dominates the race is a real eye opener and flips the way we view the car.

One of these bad boys starts at €187,400, and that's before adding all the options. You need carbon fiber and big wheels to hide the ugliness. However, all the insane performance is there, offered as standard. The V10 Plus model has most of the hardware from the Lamborghini Huracan, including a 610 horsepower 5.2-liter V10 engine.

It may only have 560 Nm of torque, but the bespoke super sportscar chassis makes a world of a difference.

The two Mercedes-AMG models have similar powertrains, built around an all-new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 510 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque (516 lb-ft) - just 650Nm (479 lb-ft) for the GT. Of course, the Mercedes-AMG GT S is lighter and has the most sportscar-like technology, such as a transaxle setup and dry sump lubrication.

As you can see in the drag race video, put together by Motorsport Magazine, there isn't a huge difference between them, not when you consider the huge lead achieved by the R8. The Audi is much faster off the line, partly because of traction advantage. But the lead is stretched further and further until it becomes a red dot when seen from the GT.

On the one hand, we can forgive the Mercedes models for losing because they are cheaper. But when the only bespoke AMG car available gets its butt handed to it by the Audi everybody loves to hate, you begin to wonder if downsizing really is the answer.