850-HP RS 6 Drag Races Aventador SVJ, Italian V12 Gets a Bruised Ego

Going back to our first question: you shouldn't be surprised if an RS-badged Audi can hold its own against a modern-day supercar. Naturally, that Audi would no longer have the factory settings. But it's not that hard to get a serious power upgrade when you've got a twin-turbo V8 under the hood. So there's your answer. It takes a tuned Audi RS to go up against a Lamborghini. And today, we've got a prime example of such a battle, and it can probably go either way.

The Aventador SVJ makes use of a naturally-aspirated V12 engine that's capable of providing 759 horsepower and 531 lb-ft (720 Nm) of torque. With a Valentino Balboni exhaust system, this SVJ is slightly lighter than the stock version and a lot noisier, for sure. It should weigh less than 3,527 lbs (1,600 kg), and that gives it a serious advantage over the RS 6, which clocks in at just under 4,629 lbs (2,100 kg). But Audi's engine has been fiddled with, and it's now in the area of 850 horsepower and probably more than 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque.

We all know how capable the RS 6 is, but is it going to overcome the weight disadvantage in the upcoming challenges today? First up, both cars will be testing their 0 to 60 mph (96 kph) times. A preliminary sound check reveals what was already obvious: a twin-turbo V8 will probably never sound as exciting as a naturally aspirated V12. The SVJ gets up to speed in 2.76 seconds, but the RS 6 wins the first round with a time of 2.6 seconds. That's not something you'd enjoy hearing after spending a small fortune on an SVJ.

Will it be any different for the upcoming tests, though? The Audi is off to a solid start for its first quarter-mile (402 meters) attempt. It only needs 10.35 seconds to cross the finish line, with a trap speed of 137 mph (220 kph). The Lamborghini seems a bit too enthusiastic going off the line, judging by the tire smoke. And it ultimately finishes 0.19 seconds behind its opponent, albeit with a similar trap speed. At this point, the supercar driver needs to get back on top of the game if he's to even out the score.

The head-to-head battle is quite exciting to watch, but it seems that the SVJ just isn't as fast as the RS 6. It's a flawless victory for the Audi so far, but that may change with the upcoming roll race. The sweet spot is set at 50 mph (80 kph), and that's when both drivers will be putting the pedal to the metal. They're neck and neck for the first run, and you can barely tell who was ahead. Even if the RS 6 barely won this one, the SVJ finally redeems itself with a solid run, winning the last challenge of the day.