When Audi launched the R8 over a decade ago, the supercar was using a 4.2-liter V8. In time, that became less and less impressive. With the introduction of the RS 3 in 2011, it became clear that some changes were in order. That's because even with a basic tune, the German hot hatchback was fast enough to keep up or even gap the Neckarsulm-built supercar.
These days, the only engine available for the R8 is the famous 5.2-liter V10 that you would also see in the Lamborghini Huracan. You can opt between the Coupe and the Spyder, depending on personal preferences.
And today we'll be watching the convertible version getting involved in a quarter-mile (402 meters) drag race against two other Audis: the RS 3 and the RS Q8. At first glance, you'd think that this is a no-brainer and that the supercar is bound to emerge victorious.
But while the R8 V10 Performance Spyder makes use of a naturally-aspirated V10 engine as its name points out, both of its opponents rely on turbochargers to go fast. And these days you rarely get to see one of these cars without at least a few performance modifications.
With that in mind, performance specs in the RS 3 have been bumped up to 550 horsepower and 538 lb-ft (730 Nm) of torque. The RS Q8 is considerably bigger, but it also has a twin-turbo V8 to work with.
Photo: Carwow
And this one is now rated for 710 hp and it likely has around 663 lb-ft (900 Nm), considering the upgrades it has going on. Aside from its size and weighing 5,103 lbs (2,315 kg), this also has an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Both of its opponents have the benefit of a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, so that might provide a hint as to what's going to happen next. The V10 in the R8 is good enough for 612 hp and 428 lb-ft (580 Nm) of torque. While it's slightly heavier than the RS 3, it is much lighter than the big SUV.
By the looks of it, the battle between the supercar and the hot hatchback might be quite close. At first, all three opponents are neck-and-neck launching off the line. But then the R8 starts pulling away, winning the race just moments after.
As you'd expect, the RS Q8 comes in last. The second run reveals the same result, and we get to look at the telemetry data as well. With V10 power under the hood, the supercar needed 11.1 seconds to complete the standing quarter-mile. The RS 3 was 0.4 seconds slower, while the RS Q8 took 11.7 seconds to finish the challenge.
Photo: Carwow
The rolling race format is up next, and all three cars are set to Comfort with the gearbox in Automatic for the first run. It all goes down as soon as they hit 50 mph (80 kph), and there's no change in results. Strangely enough, the RS 3 wins the second run as the R8 seems to be slower this time around. For the last test of the session, the cars will be braking hard once they hit 100 mph (161 kph).
There's hardly any chance that the RS Q8 will win this one, so it's all down to the sportier cars. You could call this a photo finish, but at the end of the day, the V10 supercar is still victorious. In conclusion, you could observe two things here. First of all, the older V8-powered R8 would have probably lost this challenge.
And second of all, an extra $10K of upgrades for the RS 3 would have likely provided a completely different outcome to this race. And you'd still have money in your pocket for a motorcycle or a micro jet boat.
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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