X51 C4S Blasts R8 into oblivion !

[YvesD]

Still chuckling after Plato and Needel hammered above said vehicles around a track against each other in another legendary 5th Gear shootout !

No surprises to hear that despite its 40yr old design, the Porka is still the Daddy.

Imagine what it would do if Porsche gave it another 40bhp to match the Audi's firepower.

No contest.

Yves

 

[turbo jonny]

Thats amusing after Evo magazine tested the two cars ( sans X upgrade ) and concluded that
a new dawn had come and Porsche is past it and now Audi is King!

 

[YvesD]

ORIGINAL: jonny boy

Thats amusing after Evo magazine tested the two cars ( sans X upgrade ) and concluded that
a new dawn had come and Porsche is past it and now Audi is King!

None of us really believed that though did we.

 

[sawood12]

I watched it and smiled at the rediculous second test which is just an excuse for them to powerslide these things around. It's just getting a bit boring now! But in all the departments that counted the 997 did seem to have the edge which is good news, especially considering the track didn't look like one that played to the strengths of the 997 and played more to the strengths of the R8, and also considering that the facelift 997 is not too far away and is bound to be better still and hopefully sporting direct fuel injection and a DSG gearbox which should extend the 997's edge a bit further. Proves that there is more to developing a sports car than sticking the engine in the middle and giving it 50/50 weight distribution, which is what most manufacturers seem to think is all they have to do to build a 'Porsche killer' and they're still trying! Not a conclusive test by any stretch but indicative. looking forward to seeing more back-to-back tests. One at the Nurburgring with Walter at the wheel of the 997 would be interesting.

 

[Alex L]

Wait until the MY09 facelift Carreras come out next spring/summer, rumoured to generate between 380-400 for the S models due to the intro of direct injection. Unknown if a revised powerkit will be an immediate option though.

So I think Porsche may be feeling the pressure from AM Vantage, Audi R8 and even the new BMW M3 in order to make such a jump.

BTW: GT3 is rumoured to jump to 435bhp for MY09 and come with PSM. Now that will be worth waiting for!!!!

 

[okellyt]

ORIGINAL: jonny boy

Thats amusing after Evo magazine tested the two cars ( sans X upgrade ) and concluded that
a new dawn had come and Porsche is past it and now Audi is King!

That very same evo article said rather quietly in a corner that the 911 remained the better handler and purer drive, remaining the committed drivers choice

So in otherwords it was a new dawn for Audi for ppeople who don't like cars

 

[clarkes]

I made the decision that Plato and Needell did. Buy a 911 now and order an R8. Trouble is - my 911 is a turbo so I will only consider an R8, when my order is close to build in '09, if the V10 version that is supposedly in the pipeline arrives and is faster than the '09 911 turbo.

Even then the space in the 911 (I have squeezed myself, my wife and my two younger daughters - 11yrs and 14yrs - into my turbo and we have a seat belt each) is still a great plus point over the "competition". The R8 - even though it is a great looking car - will only accomodate 2 people legally!

Richard

 

[Andy Rodgett]

Whilst holidaying in Florence last month I spoke to a guy from Luxembourg( at least that was on the plate!)outside the Tod's shop about his black with silver R8. He had sold his 997C2S and found the Audi dynamically superior . Certainly in the flesh the R8 looked stunning and much better than in the photographs - the exposed engine a la Lambo magnificent!
He qualified his comments by saying that he had kept his 997TT!! Andy

 

[Chris5150]

I Do think its great though for performance car buyers on the whole to have Audi moving their game on so much. No longer can Porsche sit on its laurels, it has very real competition, which can only bode well for the future development. Porsche have become too arrogant with their always top of the pile placings, maybe a little bit of something coming up fast in the rear view mirror will help nudge them along a little quicker in developing the next models if they want to stretch out at the top still.
I think its great that the latest BMW M3 isnt the dog danglies in that class anymore, gets boring when its the same old story, gets a lot more exciting when there is 3 or 4 choices of vehicle in a certain class and Like I say it spurs on all the manufacturers rather than allowing the one to sit back on its laurels.
I too am not a fan of the looks of the R8, but i really do appreciate the way its rattled Porsche a little.

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: rob9974s

Am I the only person who finds the R8 hideously ugly?

Nope, I think it looks a total mess from the side, plus the front and rear do nothing for me. The interior looks nice though, but not much better than a well equipt 911.

Audi should steal some of the Italian Lambo design know-how (as should Porsche to think of it). This is what a proper sportscar should look like:

 

[Alex Postan]

ORIGINAL: sawood12

Proves that there is more to developing a sports car than sticking the engine in the middle and giving it 50/50 weight distribution, which is what most manufacturers seem to think is all they have to do to build a 'Porsche killer'

When Porsche do it, their 911 killer is called, respectively, Boxster, Cayman or Carrera GT.

 

[Gary C]

ORIGINAL: sawood12

and sporting a DSG gearbox

I hope not, yuck

Was suprised though, by how good an R8 actually looks in the flesh.

 

[Sundeep]

and here is the video

http://911uk.com/template.php?page=8

 

[RC18B 911 turbo]

[blockquote]quote:

ORIGINAL: rob9974s

Am I the only person who finds the R8 hideously ugly?
[/blockquote]

Nope, I think it looks a total mess from the side, plus the front and rear do nothing for me. The interior looks nice though, but not much better than a well equipt 911.

Audi should steal some of the Italian Lambo design know-how (as should Porsche to think of it). This is what a proper sportscar should look like:

I also think the R8 looks really ugly seen 4 in the flesh now being unloaded off a transporter there is no real style to it just shapes borrowed from other cars

 

[sotoole]

5th gear's subjective test driving is amusing. 3 points: 1) Real competition for Porsche is good as it keeps them on their toes to evolve and further improve 2) The future for the R8 long term is questionable given Porsche's majority shareholding in VAG - and the share could be increased 3) Audi badge isn't in same league as Porsche - similar comparison to Alfa / Ferrari.

Having seen a R8 recently, it looks very wide for B road fun.

 

[okellyt]

ORIGINAL: sotoole

5th gear's subjective test driving is amusing. 3 points: 1) Real competition for Porsche is good as it keeps them on their toes to evolve and further improve 2) The future for the R8 long term is questionable given Porsche's majority shareholding in VAG - and the share could be increased 3) Audi badge isn't in same league as Porsche - similar comparison to Alfa / Ferrari.

Having seen a R8 recently, it looks very wide for B road fun.

sotoole

Thats what struck me as well, looking at the 5th gear on utube, the R8 is so much wider than the C4s and frankly round here I thingk the C2S is almost too wide for hooning around the B roads

The R8 is also a different price point - C2/4S mid £60's to strt, R8 near £80k before extra's. You'd have to take comparison to the GT3 then, which would eat it alive.

I still think the R8 is a very pretty car with a wondreful interior, it clealry drivesreally well and willkeep Prosche on their toes but I can't help feelling its a poor mans Lambo after all it takes about 60% of the componenets from the Guillado