Pretty suprising track times. Also how close the acceleration times were. I usually bash American car mags, but C&D isn't really that bad and their track/performance figures are usually pretty spot-on (although not conservative by any means, they usually hammer their test cars).

http://www.rs6.com/forum/showthread....6410#post96410

Curious to see what people think here. No, wait, I am know what people are gonna say already. Have at it.

 

1st Place
Audi R8 - 220 Points
Base Price - $109,720
Tested Price - $120,970
0-60 - 4.3
0-100 - 10.7
1/4 Mile 12.8 @ 112 mph
5-60 - 4.8
70-0 - 160 feet
300 ft skidpad - .97
Willow Springs International Raceway Lap Time - 1:35.76/94.0 mph
Lane change (mph) - 66.7
Observed miles per gallon - 14

Highs
Ballet-dancer balance and grace, eager responses, telepathic steering, internal combustion rarely sounds better.

Lows
Proportions awkward from some angles, uncomfortable dead-pedal height, blind in the rear quarters.

Verdict
Sports-car perfection from an unexpected source.

2nd Place
Porsche 911 Turbo - 210 Points
Base Price - $123,760
Tested Price - $141,510
0-60 - 3.8
0-100 - 9.2
1/4 Mile 12.2 @ 117 mph
5-60 - 4.8
70-0 - 159 feet
300 ft skidpad - .98
Willow Springs International Raceway Lap Time - 1:38.53/91.3 mph
Lane change (mph) - 65.0
Observed miles per gallon - 14

Highs
Omigawd thrust, never-fade brakes, limpet grip, gorgeous interior treatment, maximum Porsche mystique.

Lows
Spooky at the limits of adhesion, high interior noise levels, Prussian ride quality, snoot scrapes on driveway ramps.

Verdict
For 911 addicts who have no wish to be cured, Porsche Sturm und Drang just doesn't get any better than this.

3rd Place
Aston Martin V8 Vantage - 191 Points
Base Price - $117,150
Tested Price - $129,110
0-60 - 5.1
0-100 - 12.3
1/4 Mile 13.5 @ 106 mph
5-60 - 5.8
70-0 - 165 feet
300 ft skidpad - .93
Willow Springs International Raceway Lap Time - 1:40.73/89.4 mph
Lane change (mph) - 64.1
Observed miles per gallon - 13

Highs
Appealingly edgy update on classic GT-coupe shape, smooth operator on rough payment, irresistible V8 growl.

Lows
A bit too much body roll, nervous under hard braking, short on muscle among these heavy lifters.

Verdict
A stylish GT sophisticate that's a little out of its depth among these thoroughbreds.

 

Ditka must have been driving the R8...

 

just read the article last nite while dumping. pretty interesting numbers... i like R8 but can't see it beats 997 Turbo on track. no way... easier to drive maybe?

 

I don't know man, hard to believe other then the R8 like they say has an excellent stock suspension setup and balance, and the acceleration times are nowhere near that of the 997TT LOL... Both are sick and I love the R8 a lot!

 

Not for me. My winner is the 997TT.

 

.5 sec difference is very big in acceleration times.
nowhere near 997TT....
anyway good post.

*wondering why my issue of c/d is not yet here...

 

Interesting times. I wonder what the details were as far as the driver and tires. Times seem quite slow compared to stock sportbikes...my warm up times are in the 1:31s..on a 600cc stock sportbike with DOT race tires. Stock tires and non-pro driver? More details?

 

Based on this, what are they going to compare the V10 R8 with???

 

Lamborghini Gallardo??

 

On the track used by EVO magazine the R8 was .7 sec faster (iirc) than the Gallardo. I think its called Bruntingthorpe or some crap like that. It is even faster than a 997 GT3 by a decent margin.

The V10 one will be a beast.

When i referred to to acceleration times, the 997 has a clear advantage but it is not a complete slaughter, especially once you consider the additional response and tractability that a NA engine provides. Plus the sound!

Overall, I am very glad the R8 held its own. It received a lot of flak for only having the V8 at launch and this again proof that chassis balance can more then overcome any power deficiencies. The sledgehammer punch of the turbo is nice, but I personally prefer the looks, exclusivity, and performance (from what I have gleaned from magazines and the like) of the R8.

Both amazing cars, great to have the choice!

 

Seeing the times they came up with I'm not quite sure where or how the 997TT lost almost 3 seconds on the track?

 

I'd love to see an image that shows what times each car got at each section of the track to see where exactly the R8 jumped ahead of the 997, because it definitely isn't on any of the straights or powering out of any turns since the turbo has the clear advantage in acceleration.

 

Wait till the 10cyl comes out. Damn

 

If you look at the 5 to 60 figures, both cars are identical at 4.8 sec. That means on a rolling start, the cars accelerate at a similar rate. So based on that, it is not surprising that R8 has better numbers on the track.