It’s safe to assume the BMW M5 Competition and Audi R8 V10 Spyder are never cross-shopped by buyers since the two cars are vastly different. One can carry the whole family in utmost comfort while the other only has room for a single passenger. One is a luxurious and practical sedan while the other is a fully fledged supercar with a mid-engined layout and a folding roof. Add into the mix the massive price gap and you end up with two cars that have practically nothing in common.
Nevertheless, it’s always exciting to see how two different performance philosophies stack up in a good ol’ drag race. The German side of Carwow lined up the two cars, which are both being retired this year, with a new M5 (G90) due in 2024 while the R8 sadly isn’t getting a replacement. The two have substantially different powertrains – a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 for the super sedan and a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 for the Spyder.
The outgoing S63 engine is good for 625 hp and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) in Competition guise whereas Ingolstadt’s ten-cylinder mill shared with the Lamborghini Huracan produces 620 hp and 580 Nm (428 lb-ft). Both have automatic transmissions sending the engine’s output to all four wheels, but the M5 has an eight-speed torque converter while the R8 has a seven-speed, dual-clutch ‘box. Then there’s the weight as the model carrying the Four Rings is about 170 kilograms (375 pounds) lighter.
The two cars fought in several drag races and the best time achieved was a 10.7-second sprint to the quarter mile for the BMW whereas the Audi did 10.9 seconds. We can also see the cars dueling in rolling races before a brutal brake test from 100 mph (161 km/h) the M5 Competition won rather surprisingly by a significant margin.
The M5 and R8 mark the beginning of the end of the ICE era as the automotive industry is moving toward electrification through plug-in hybrids and pure EVs. That also includes performance cars, and BMW already has the XM plug-in hybrid SUV to lead the way while Audi has the electric RS E-Tron GT sedan.
Source: Carwow / YouTube
