Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 vs Audi R8 FSi quattro
Pretty similar cars - mid engined all wheel drive supercars. Share a lot of genetics, Audi owns Quattro GmbH, the company that makes the R8 in Neckarsulm in Germany (Just down the river Neckar from Stuttgart, home of Porsche and Mercedes and the old Solitude race track.) and Audi also owns Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A - those crazy guys that build the Gallardo in Santa'Agata , Italy. The R8's Engine heavily based on the version in the LP560-4 Lamborghini - which is in turn a warmed up version of the 5.2L V10 that started life in the front of the big Audi S8.
In the Phantom Black with Lava Grey Side scoop corner, fighting from Neckasulm in Germany the naturally aspirated 5.2 litre V10 powered all wheel drive super car ... the R8 5.2 FSi quattro.
Audi R8 FSi quattro
199,400cr
5204cc V10
517bhp - 54.1 torques
4435x1930x1252mm
1620kg 46:54
100/200 natural downforce
203 Max Speed (Rev Limited)8700 revs in 6th gear)
540pp
And introducing... In the recently resprayed Verde Ithaca corner from Santa'Agata in Italy the naturally aspirated 5.2 litre V10 powered all wheel drive supercar ... the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.
253,300cr
5204cc V10
552bhp - 55.1 torques
4345x1900x1165mm
1410kg 44:56
0/0 Natural Downforce
200 Max Speed (Rev Limited 9000 revs in 6th gear)
546pp
Round 1 - Price
R8 5.2 FSi quattro - 199,400kazulas (£108,090)
Gallardo LP560-4- 253,300 kazulas (£157,718 - It was in January 2012 anyhow.)
The Gallardo is over 25% more expensive than the Audi.
R8 5.2 FSi quattro (10) - Gallardo LP560-4 (8)
Round 2 - Tyres
R8 5.2 FSi quattro - Sports Hard
Gallardo LP560-4- Sports Hard
Considering both cars should be dancing in the 200mph region a set of durable semi slicks could be a wise choice.
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 10(20) - Gallardo LP560-4 10(18)
Round 3 - Paint Chips
R8 5.2 FSi quattro - 9 chips
Gallardo LP560-4 - 3 Chips
The Audi has 9 Paint chips with the side panel a secondary colour - You can have a single colour car in BrilliantRot if you consider a bright red car being subtle.
(I chose...Phantom Black with Lava Grey Side scoop) - If you do plan to respray your car - the side scoop panel and the seats will remain as you bought them.
The Lamborghini disappoints with just 3 paint chips... Black White or Yellow... Hope you like white leather interior as that is all you get.
The Audi has more chips but they are pretty boring in places, the stand out is the secondary colour you get on the airscoop side panel - You don't get many Exciting colours, But this is a German car efficient engineering holds sway. Despite the Lamborghini being almost Italian (cough) The High ups at Audi didn't get the "Red ones go faster" memo from Lamboghini so you can only get it in Black White or Yellow... The bright side is you can resplay the car yourself - adding even more to the price.
Does the Brilliantrot Audi retain its side scoop colours if you paint it white? - You betcha!
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 10(30) - Gallardo LP560-4 8(26)
Round 4 - Speed
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 203mph
Gallardo LP560-4 - 200mph
Ran at Route X - The Audi seemed to have better guts to get to 200mph faster, and could punch over it. The Lambo seemed to struggle and felt like it was slower than the Audi when you got the gearbox onto that final cog - But I had just discovered that the Audi had natural downforce, so I was expecting the "clean" Lambo to have less drag and therefore go faster. As usual I was wrong!
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 10(40) - Gallardo LP560-4 9(35)
Round 5 - Engine Note
R8 5.2 FSi quattro - V10 5.2...odd firing. Now you don't hear many of those!
Gallardo LP560-4 - V10 5.2... oh well maybe you do.
Both are okay, the quattro has a deeper baritone wail to it, the Lambo has a more distinctive "Beer can" (Jamaican for Bacon) resonance. I am not a big fan of V10's but these two are too close for me to really prefer one over the other.
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 10(50) - Gallardo LP560-4 10(45)
Round 6 - Track Test Event : Willow Springs
R8 5.2 FSi quattro - 1m22.866 (12m03.214)
32 litre asked for on a lap 4 pit stop. (I let it gulp down 40 litres or whatever wishy washy octane petrol they have in California)
The car was entertaining to drive, the weight at the back placed a huge lateral load on the rear tyres, Pressure that Sports Hards couldn't live with. I had planned to run a none stop race, but the Audi destroyed its rear tyres at an alarming rate. Brakes felt pretty weak but when they do lock, it is those over worked rears that give up first - making the car rather nasty at speed until you get used to it.
Gallardo LP560-4 - 1m22.386 (11m55.669)
Pit stop on lap 4 asked for 30 litres gave it 40 - Planned to drive none stop eh? Obviously I forgot about the heavy drinking habits these cars both have... If I wanted to squeeze 20 miles out of a full tank I would have to a bit more than just "lift and coast" - The Gallardo was a firebrand, As it was lighter I obviously preferred to drive it, The Gallardo's lack of Audi's "Magic Grip" made the high speed corners rate a smidge higher on the "buttock clench-o-meter" but the all wheel drive stuff kind of helps you out by giving a bit of work for the front tyres.
...
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 8(58) - Gallardo LP560-4 10(55)
Round 7 - Tyre Degredation
Both cars come with the same grade of Sport Hard black rubber boots but which car treats its tyres with respect.
R8 5.2 FSi quattro - Eats its tyres like a giant mutant lizard.
Gallardo LP560-4 - It isn't exactly light but the car does keep the tyres more or less intact and doesn't slap themabout into every corner like the Audi.
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 9(67) - Gallardo 10(65)
Round 8 - Dashing Good Looks -
Obviously you pick the Italian designed car...
R8 5.2 FSi quattro -
Walter de Silva - the guy that gave Audi that iconic big single frame front grille - He also designed the Lamborghini Egoista - The Audi R8? Considering it has big side scoops and a large straked vents front and rear. It doesn't have a clown car bolt on Spoiler, Lots of Fairy Lights (I think this car is all LED Fairy lights - I like the look of the car even if its headlamps that reminds me of the Town Centre illuminations.
Gallardo LP560-4 - Name a Famous Peruvian?
(Not Paddington Bear!) Luc Donckerwolke maybe? He took the Lamborghini Cala design of Giugiaro, and transformed it into the Baby Lambo we have been testing. The second generation Gallardo, the LP560-4 has a smidge of Reventon and overall looks a bit more savage than the first generation. I like this one as well! Even if it has headlamps that remind me of a GT-R.
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 10(77) - Gallardo LP560-4 10(75)
Round 9 - Handling
R8 5.2 FSi quattro - Weight is the issue here. The car felt great - Much more of a Mid Engine car than a 4 wheel drive understeer-u horror show. The All wheel drive does soften things up on corner exits but the turn in bit can be very wayward proper corner - It does have some natural aero which does help the car out... but nowhere near enough.
Gallardo LP560-4 - After the quattro, the Lambo felt a bit more eager and racy. It isn't perfect but who wants a car without character?
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 9(86) - Gallardo LP560-4 10(85)
Round 10 - Second race test -
Let's go to chopped up Ostereichring near Zeltweg just past Spielburg in Styria home of Arnold Schwartzenegger. The Red Bull Ring. - Formerly known as the A1 Ring.
This could be the splitter. If the quattro can hold its own it can take the fight on points. If the Lamborghini can dominate on the track again then it is a car worth paying that bit extra for.
As Ken Watanabe once said, "
Let them fight."
R8 5.2 FSi quattro - 1m40.557
Gallardo LP560-4 - 1m38.088
Winner - If you compare telemetry traces the Lamborghini just pulls away out of corners - the Car may not have the ultimate top speed of the quattro, but it has the edge on track every day of the week. Could it be the oodles of Brake Horse it has or the lack of apple strudel keeping it light on its feet? The quattro may have natural Aero but that can't compete with the Powah and "Added lightness" of the Gallardo.
R8 5.2 FSi quattro 8(94) - Gallardo LP560-4 10(95)
So the Winner - Peru's own
Lamborghini Gallardo 560-4
So Walter de Silva verses Luc Donckerwolke - but what would happen if these two worked together... Have a look at the one off "new" Lamborghini Muira these two knocked up one afternoon...