Photo: carwow / YouTube
The Audi R8 is a force to be reckoned with. It’s basically a Lamborghini Huracan in disguise. The one Mat drives today is the rear-wheel-drive model, with a naturally aspirated 5.2L V10 engine that puts out 562 HP (570 PS) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque.
The competition (pun intended) is an all-wheel-drive BMW M5 Competition edition, powered by a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 engine that puts out 616 HP (625 PS) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque. That said, it’s 305 kg (672 lbs) heavier, weighing 1,895 kg (4177 lbs), whereas the R8 weighs “only” 1,590 kg (3,505 lbs). But the weight difference won’t have much of an impact on the drag strip, as you’ll see in just a minute.
Revving the engines reveals a trait that both cars have in common, and that’s a soft limiter, although neither sounds bad at all.
While both cars have launch control, you could argue that the M5 nailed it on the first try, giving it an edge over the R8, which, surprisingly, struggled to catch up and eventually lost the first race. The Bimmer’s extra torque probably had a say in it, too.
But that wasn’t the case on the second try, though, where the two beasts were neck and neck. Mat’s reflexes helped him launch the R8 straight toward a win, although not an easy one, as the M5 wouldn’t go down without a fight.
The decider was just as close, both cars crossing the quarter-mile mark in 11.3 seconds, with the R8 barely snatching the victory.
Two rolling races from 50 mph (80 km/h) followed, but I won’t spoil them for you. As for braking power, the M5 was better this time, winning the brake test by a car length.
Overall, an interesting contest that couldn’t be any closer. Or, could it? You can check it out below.
Revving the engines reveals a trait that both cars have in common, and that’s a soft limiter, although neither sounds bad at all.
While both cars have launch control, you could argue that the M5 nailed it on the first try, giving it an edge over the R8, which, surprisingly, struggled to catch up and eventually lost the first race. The Bimmer’s extra torque probably had a say in it, too.
But that wasn’t the case on the second try, though, where the two beasts were neck and neck. Mat’s reflexes helped him launch the R8 straight toward a win, although not an easy one, as the M5 wouldn’t go down without a fight.
The decider was just as close, both cars crossing the quarter-mile mark in 11.3 seconds, with the R8 barely snatching the victory.
Two rolling races from 50 mph (80 km/h) followed, but I won’t spoil them for you. As for braking power, the M5 was better this time, winning the brake test by a car length.
Overall, an interesting contest that couldn’t be any closer. Or, could it? You can check it out below.
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