Audi R8 Spyder Drags Lamborghini Huracan – Don't Watch if You Have a Short Temper

The meteorological reference in the opening is not pulled out of a hat with random words: in Spanish, ‘hurricane’ is ‘Huracan,’ and in Italian, that’s a Lamborghini. Which is German bones underneath the stylish Sant’ Agata Bolognese garment, and – on paper – it shouldn’t differ radically from an Audi R8.

Yeap, time for a drag race filled with screen-punching frustration and disappointment of quarter-mile proportions. An Audi R8 versus a Lamborghini Huracan; Germany against Italy; iceberg-like composure challenging raging exuberance; V10 taking on itself, basically. The two cars share the powerplant – 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated high-octave revving elemental forces of breakneck speeds.

For some unknown reason, Audi – which, ironically, owns Lamborghini – decided to shave off a few horses from the top end of the power band of their signature supercar. The German interpretation of the V10 symphony tones down after 620 Pferdestärke – German horsepower – and 580 Nm (612 hp/428 lb-ft). On the other hand, the Italians prefer the high-pitched notes, so their proposal for this duet duel tops out at 640 PS and 600 Nm (631 hp, 443 lb-ft).

Drivetrains don’t differ substantially – both racers have the same seven-speed automatic dual-clutch gearbox, putting the power down via all four wheels. So, mechanically, the fight is as even as it gets. However, the Audi doesn’t have a solid roof, going for the topless outfit instead, occasionally covering the cabin with a cloth spread over a foldable rake.

That is where the going gets tougher for the R8: ironically, less car mean more weight, but engineeringly speaking, it is perfectly logical. Since the strength of a proper metal structure is lacking, enforcements have to be added elsewhere to ensure torsional rigidity. Weight and speed aren’t the best of friends when cars are concerned, so the 1.7-ton body mass index of the Audi drags it down in the odds.

The Lamborghini is most probably 1.5 tons – the YouTubers from carwow (responsible for this showdown) don’t carry scales for weighing automobiles, and the official Lamborghini numbers quote 1.4 tons of dry weight. Add fuel, oil, coolant, refrigerant, and other liquids, and we’re reaching the 1.5-ton mark.

With a superior bhp/ton (426.67), the Lamborghini Huracan shouldn’t have any trouble thrashing the Audi R8 (365.78) all the way down the quarter-mile joust. Unfortunately, this is where frustration kicks in, kicking the Launch Control out of the Audi – six times in a row.

Play the video below and watch Mat Watson’s irritation growing with every attempt to counter the Lamborghini’s mad-spot-on launches. To add humiliation to the misery, the R8 works like an atomic clock – when the driver puts the car through its paces in a rehearsal solo warmup launch.

The drag races end with the same result: the Italian crosses the line alone, six out of six. Even if the Audi were to work correctly, it would have still looked at the same Huracan taillights. The best time scored by the ailing Audi (during the test run) stopped the clock at 11.1 seconds, three-tenths later behind the hasty Lambo.

The rolling start races are a faint consolation for the disgruntled R8, which manages one win (but loses the other race), and the brake test (which the heavy R8 wins) is about as relevant as having a haircut before a dentist appointment. Sometimes, Murphy’s laws simply don’t care about logic.