Drag Race: Audi R8 V10 Spyder vs Audi Sport Quattro S1

Is a convertible V10-powered sports car a match for one of the most famous fire-breathing rally cars of all time; the Audi Quattro S1? Watch Mat’s latest carwow drag race to find out…

If you’re a regular carwow viewer, you’ll already have seen the Quattro S1 face-off against Audi’s latest high-performance four-wheel-drive performance car; the RS3. If you haven’t seen that video yet, click on the green button below to check it out.

Today’s challenge is a whole different kettle of quattro-infused fish. Instead of the baby RS model, the eighties-tastic S1 rally car is going up against an R8 Spyder – the V10-powered flagship of Audi’s performance range.

It’s powered by a 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine that produces 620hp and 580Nm of torque. This oomph is metered out to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

In comparison, the S1 rally car is frankly rather old-fashioned. It comes with a 2.1-litre five-cylinder engine with a mahoosive turbocharger that helps it pump out 500hp and 480Nm of torque.

Attached to this is a do-it-yourself six-speed manual gearbox and Audi’s OG Quattro four-wheel-drive system.

Despite the umpteen wings, splitters and skirts, the S1 only weighs a smidge more than one tonne. The R8 Spyder, for comparison, weighs almost 1.7 tonnes.

How much do they cost? Well, a new R8 Spyder will set you back around £160,000 today but getting your hands on an original S1 Quattro will cost more than ten times that figure. The car you see here is insured for a wallet-singeing £1.7M.

Which, however, is quicker over the standing quarter-mile drag race? You’ll just have to watch the video to find out…

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