AUDI R8 V10 vs MCLAREN 570S

Audi R8 (2015): what's new

This time the R8 flips the engine roll-out on its head; only the V10 petrol is available at launch, although CAR understands a cheaper, less powerful V8 is a shoe-in.
The mid-mounted, dry-sumped 5.2-litre V10 produces a heady 602bhp, making it a pretty serious performance car; it’s exactly as fast as its Lamborghini Huracan sister, with a 0-62mph time claimed at 3.2 seconds.
It'll reach double that - 124mph - in just 9.9sec. Top speed? A distinctly supercar-sounding 205mph. No surprises for guessing this is the fastest Audi road car in history.

Aluminium tech underpins new R8

Previous R8s made extensive use of aluminium, but Ingolstadt today confirmed the R8 Mk2 uses a multi-material mix, blending aluminium and carbonfibre-reinforced plastic.
Hence the kerbweight is claimed at 1454kg (dry, without fluids onboard), or 1555kg as a conventional unladen weight. That’s 50 kilos less than the Mk1. Any forthcoming V8 model would be lighter still.

Two V10s available

Buyers can choose two specs of Audi R8 from launch, both packing the Huracan-shared V10, now with cylinder deactivation so it runs as a five-pot under light loads:
5.2 FSI 532bhp, 398lb ft 3.5sec 0-62mph, 201mph, 275g/km CO2
5.2 FSI 602bhp, 413lb ft 3.2sec 0-62mph, 205mph, 289g/km CO2

 

MCLAREN 570S

Let me straight away say that the new 570S, apart of McLaren’s new Sport Series, is not simply another 650S variant; it’s an all-new sports car built to compete with the Porsche 911.
As always, McLaren has given its latest, orange-clad creation a moniker indicative of the power nestled mid-chassis: 570 PS (562 horsepower) derived from a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8. Though it makes fewer horsepowers than its bigger brother the 650S, it boasts a class-leading power-to-weight ratio of 388 hp per ton.

Along with the 562 ponies, its 443 pound-feet of torque are routed to the ground through a seven-speed SSG transmission and out to the unique, forged alloy rear wheels. 0 to 62 mph is trounced in 3.2 seconds and 0 to 124 mph is achieved in 9.5 seconds. The 204 mph top speed will be greeted not long after.
 If you get a bit too unnerved with that brutal acceleration, McLaren has you covered, as it is fitting carbon ceramic brakes to the 570S as standard. These should not only scrub speed quite effectively, they should also, if given a full stomp, put your dentures on the dashboard.