Old Audi R8 V10 vs. New Panamera Turbo Race Is Surprising

Logic would dictate that Porsche has improved the Panamera Turbo enough over the years, to the point where it's faster than an old super-sportscar. But that's not really what we see here. The two are about as even as a Porsche 4-door and an Audi coupe are ever going to get.

For starters, let's just point out that the rolling start theoretically doesn't give either car an advantage, since both area all-wheel drive. However, the launch control in the older R8 might not be as good, especially since it's equipped with that slightly dodgy gearbox.

The four-door Panamera is the heaviest car here, tipping the scales at around almost exactly 2 tons. Its 4-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 550 HP and 770 Nm of torque from 1,960rpm. The 0 to 100 km/h is quoted at 3.8 seconds while the top speed is 306 km/h.

Meanwhile, the 5.2-liter V10 in this old R8 makes 525 HP and just 530 Nm of torque. It gets to 100 km/h 0.1 of a second slower but has a higher top speed of 316 km/h. At just 1,620 kg, it's not a featherweight supercar, but it's about four passengers lighter than the Porsche.

The race starts out pretty even. When in gear, the R8 pulls away slightly, but the Panamera Turbo's PDK changes up much faster and evens things out. By the time they reach the end of the runway, the two German cars are still pretty even.

All this would be okay if racing were all they're supposed to do. However, the Panamera is a practical 4-seater with a large trunk and the latest toys - all-wheel steering, screens for days and a 918-like steering wheel.