Progress is made much more quickly when there is a 12-year gap between generations.
The Audi R8 is the German marque’s flagship supercar. The R8 was built initially using the same engine and chassis as the Lamborghini Gallardo. It was considered a supercar, despite sharing parts with the Italian marque.
It’s been more than 12 years since the first model was released and we now have its second-generation model. The latest facelift came out last year. How does this huge gap in generation affect the German supercar’s progress from its first model to the most recent?
CarWow pits an original Audi R8 against a newer version in a drag racing. This includes the Mark 1 GT Spyder, LMX and V10 Performance versions. Let’s look at the numbers for each car to give you a better idea.
Original R8 was equipped with an aluminum V8 engine producing 414 horsepower (309 KiloWatts) & 317 pound-feet (405 Newton-meters). A six-speed manual gearbox transmits the power to all four wheels.
The R8 GT Spyder is a limited edition of the GT, with just 333 units in the world. The 5.2-Liter V10 engine produces 552 horsepower (412 kW) as well as 398 lbft (540 Nm), torque. It has a 6-speed single-clutch manual transmission.
The Future Of The R8
The R8 LMX is the next limited-edition variant of the R8. This special edition R8 was revealed at the 24 hour of Le Mans. It featured a 5.2L V10 engine that produces 562 horsepower (419 kW) and the same torque. However, the transmission is a seven speed dual clutch transmission.
The facelifted R8 Mark II would be the most recent. The new R8 is the most powerful R8 to date, thanks to its 5.2L V10 engine behind the seats. It has a maximum output power of 602 HP (449 kW) as well as 413 lbft (560 Nm).
Which one won the drag race? You should have an idea. But you can still watch the video at the top of this page to see for yourself.