Porsche vs. Audi: that doesn't sound like a fair race. But what if we told you the Porsche was a hybrid with fewer cylinders? Sibling rivalries between performance cars are common within the Volkswagen Group. However, we never thought of comparing the V8-powered Audi S8 to a Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid. They're just not the same type of car, with one being an old-school power-limo and the other a hybrid shaped like a wagon.
The closest Porsche model to an Audi S8 would probably be the long-wheelbase Panamera with "Turbo" written on its tail. The two German companies collaborated on many projects, and the V6/V8 engines they sell are basically shared.
However, the outputs aren't the same, and Porsche still finds ways to over-engineer its models and make them better. For example, the Audi RS6, RS7, and RS Q8 all have 50 horsepower extra from the same twin-turbo V8 found in the Panamera Turbo.
The S8 sedan also packs that engine, but it's only rated at 563 horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque. That would still make it a match for a Panamera Turbo, but this is a Panamera 4S E-Hybrid. That means a V6 resides under the hood, coupled to an electric motor to deliver 552 hp and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm).
But this video from German race car driver Daniel Abt proves the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid is underappreciated. In the first drag race, the S8 fails to launch properly. Apparently, the system disengages if you hold it for too long. But the second one is done well, and the Porsche wins again. It does the quarter-mile in 11.44 seconds while, the S8 needs 11.74 seconds.
The gap is maintained to 800 meters, which is half a mile (0.497 to be precise). The final shootout between Germans is a rolling race, and the instant power delivery of the hybrid system proves too much for the Audi to handle. Maybe this explains why people aren't buying as many S8s as they used to.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News