Audi R8 V10 Races Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, Alfa Romeo Giulia QV Dares Challenge the Winner

Initially offered with a naturally aspirated V8, the R8 leveled up to the 5.2 FSI in December 2008 for the 2009 model year. The German brother of the Lamborghini Gallardo was redesigned in 2015, bringing the R8 closer to the subsequent Huracan.

The V10-engined R8 in the video below is an early model, which means 610 ps (602 hp) at the crank. But as expected of a high-revving engine of the free-breathing variety, those ponies are delivered at high engine speeds. Think 8,000 revolutions per minute. By comparison, the 3.0-liter six in the 911 Carrera GTS needs 6,500 revolutions per minute to develop 480 ps (473 horsepower).

The Volkswagen Group models are stupidly fast in the quarter-mile, there's no mistaking that. The folks at KaRace clocked 11.4 seconds and 11.1 seconds, respectively. The 992-generation 911 Carrera GTS required 3.3 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour, meaning 62 miles per hour in old money. As for the four-ringed supercar, that would be 3.1 seconds; thank you!

The fun stuff doesn't end here, though. After beating the Neunelfer, the R8 was challenged to a rolling race by a Giulia Quadrifoglio. The Italian performance sedan features plenty of Ferrari know-how, beginning with its six-cylinder lump.

A team led by Philippe Krief, who also served as chassis engineer for the universally acclaimed Ferrari 458 Speciale, engineered the Giulia Quadrifoglio. Despite being a world-class performance sedan, the Italian model couldn't hold a candle to the R8 from a roll. Why did the owners roll instead of race from a dig? Because a roll favors the Alfa Romeo, which is rear-wheel drive only.

Alfa Romeo will soon bid farewell to the Giorgio platform of the Giulia and Stelvio, for the Stellantis group is pivoting to electric muscle across the board. The Italian-American-French automaker will replace said platform with the STLA Large, whose first application is the 2025 Dodge Charger. The STLA Large platform will also underpin cars and SUVs from Chrysler, Jeep, and Maserati.

Over at the Volkswagen Group, the R8 was discontinued in 2023 with no successor in sight. Word on the street is that an electric supercar may be in the offing at some point by the end of the decade. In the meantime, the Raging Bull of Sant'Agata Bolognese is putting the finishing touches on the Huracan's replacement, which features a hybridized twin-turbo V8 for a combined output that exceeds 800 mechanical horsepower. The yet-unnamed model is referred to as LB63x.

Porsche's 911 is up for a facelift in 2024 for the 2025 model year, a mid-cycle refresh that will also bring forth the first-ever hybridized 911. According to sources, two hybrid powertrains and a new 3.6-liter boxer are on the menu for the 992.2 lineup.