McLaren 720S Drag Races Audi RS 3 Sedan, Do We Have a Surprise Winner?

Ask the Woking-based brand how quick it is to 62 mph (100 kph), and they will tell you that it needs 2.9 seconds and that the 124 mph (200 kph) mark is hit in 7.8 seconds after takeoff. The quarter-mile sprint is a 10.3-second affair, officially, and it has a top speed of 212 mph (341 kph).

It has clever aerodynamics and a powerful V8 mounted in the middle, behind the seats, to thank for these numbers. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 generates 710 hp (720 ps / 530 kW) at 7,500 rpm, and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque at 5,500 rpm, delivering everything to the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Its ad-hoc challenger on one particular day, at the Mission Raceway Park in Canada, presumably not long ago, was an Audi RS 3 Sedan. The previous-generation premium subcompact sports model uses a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, with 395 hp (400 ps / 294 kW) and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque. It’s mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, and takes around 4 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 kph) from rest. The top speed is capped at 174 mph (280 kph).

Now, it’s clear that the Audi RS 3 Sedan stands no chance against the British supercar, but by the looks of it, this one has been visited by the tuning fairy, as it took off like a bullet when the lights turned green. Still, was that enough to give the 720S a true run for its money, or did the latter eventually catch up with it and ended up crossing the finish line first? You know what to do to find out.