German car mag: Audi R8 vs. Corvette C6 shootout - Vette wins!

[the Interceptor]

I just got the latest issue of the AutoBild Sportscars. And what should I find browsing through it? An Audi R8 vs. Corvette C6 shootout. And the Vette wins. In a German car mag .... wait, what??? Yes, read for yourself. I added some editorial notes in square brackets.

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Watch out, Audi!

More displacement, more power, more driving pleasure: the renewed Corvette C6 blares to take on the well established competition. One of her first combatants is the Audi R8. How well will the rear wheel drive and the 437 hp of the American put up with the all wheel drive and the 420 hp of the German?

The stop light break as an inquiry in etiquette: don't forget the good manners just now. One who sits in the Audi R8 and, lost in thought, picks his nose right now has already lost. Everyone would see. Even after almost two years since it was first introduced, the sportscar from Ingolstadt still is a matter of public interest, stamped into aluminium and carbon fiber.

Despite the new V8 with 6.2 liters of displacement and 437 horses, enhanced steering and upgraded interior, the freshly reworked Corvette knows no such hype. Compared to the glorified-from-birth Audi, it had a heavy childhood. Since 1953, General Motors positions the Corvette to be an appropriate contender to European sportscars – always intending to build the best sportscar of the world. Always with limited success. From the beginning, the design fulfilled the attributes of a proper sportscar, yet the handling never held what the promising sound of the voluminous eightcylinders promised.

The critic always stayed the same. The handling: not sporty enough. The steering: too dull. The build quality: well, you know. And then there was the unfavorable preference of the red light district for the two seater from Michigan. Although the pimps of this world have long transfered to models from Stuttgart [*coughMercedescough*], the bad reputation sticks to the Vette like super glue. However, the current generation is the best ever and serious competition for sportscars from good old Europe.

That basically is a sensation, given the antiquated design of the Corvette. After all, details such as leafsprings at the rear axle and a V8 with one central camshaft and pushrods [come on, you knew they'd say the evil words] from a time when later foreign minister Joschka Fischer attended wild riots with the police [around 1968].

Who underestimates the Corvette out of an old habit will quickly be beaten by it. The new steering makes the C6 naviagte with unprecedented precision. Even the formerly critical corrections at the limit are noted well-tempered by the steering and the also reworked suspension. But woe you go overboard! Despite the active stability control, the rear kicks out quicker than you will say „ESP“ [electronic stability program]. Deactivate the aide all along (there are three settings), and you'll soon find yourself drifting around every corner thanks to the exuberant torque of 575 newtonmeters. At all, the 6.2 liter V8 brings tears of joy to your eyes. Regardless of doing 5000 revs in secord or 900 in sixth – the engine responds to the throttle perfectly jerk-free, revs like a dervish and hammers an easy smile in your face that would put John Wayne to shame. What a bummer that the likewise reworked six speed manual still acts a tad too stiff.

Let's talk about the Audi. Despite its classically appearing, deliciously clicking, yet notchy gearbox with an open shifting gate, it appears to be a research lab on wheels compared to the sixties technique of the Corvette. Aluminium body, direct injection, adaptive damping, permanent all wheel drive – the R8 possesses almost all ingredients of a modern sportscar. And it drives like one, too. Thanks to the balancing mid-engine layout and the variable, yet always rear-biased all wheel drive (distribution: 10:90 to 35:65 %), the Audi sweeps a bend faster than the passenger wishes to.

Under full acceleration, the 100 [km/h] fall after just 4.7 seconds and accompanied by suspiciously-Nascar-like V8-roar; another 12.9 seconds later the two-seater already does 200 [km/h]. Meanwhile, you can't help the odd feeling that the Audi could use at least 100 hp more. The brilliant traction and the excellent roadholding make the R8 feel slower than it actually is. The steering seems to be too easy and numb on the first meters, but soon works its way to the pilots heart through its immediate way and the felicitous feedback. Talking of hearts: if you intend to drift with the Audi, you need to be brave. Where other rear ends already peep around the corner, the R8 stays put even with a deactivated stability control. Only if you keep your foot down beyond what your mind tells you to do, the R8 allows its behind free play. Experienced drivers will pilot the Audi through the bends like this with suprising ease, beginners should let it alone in the first place. Or brake hard. The standard brake already bites like Mike Tyson, the ceramic stops in our test car (8820 Euros extra) glue whole swarms of flies to the cars tail. The breaking figures from 100 [km/h] to zero speak for themselves: 35.8 meters cold and 36.2 meters warm.

The Corvette proves that you can kill midges without racing equipment. Despite the lack of 40 millimeters disc size at the front and 26 millimeters at the back, the Yank [no offense to be taken] only needs 0.2 meters more stopping distance when warm, and even beats the Audi by 1.1 meters when cold. Ouch! Just like the fuel economy. While the eight cylinders of the R8 proudly sing the song of good economy of direct injection, the Corvette uses a healthy 1.8 liters [covering 100 km] less. In the next moment, it hammers from 0 to 100 [km/h] within 4.9 seconds accompanied by a slightly disappointing V8-roar compared to the Audi. The fact that the Audi wins this race is down to its advantage on the first few meters due to its all wheel drive. Beyond highway speeds, the Audi has to admit defeat. The Vette reaches 200 [km/h] a whole 2.1 seconds quicker than Ingolstadt's citizen.

And wins this shootout in the end. When the Audi trumps with perfect bulid quality, noble leather, cool metal and close-locking switches, the Corvette saves itself with a sensational price performance ratio. With a base price of 65,290 Euros, the C6 just beats the Audi R8, which costs at least 106,400 Euros, by a hefty 41,110 Euros. Despite the grip-lacking seats, the inaccurately locking controls and the bad visibility of the body, you will not find any more bang for the buck in the world of sportscars.

That makes you relax, also at the stop light. There, the Corvette driver can sit back comfortably and watch the brouhaha around the Audi R8.

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May I, myself being and editor, note that this article has some hostility towards the Vette. That is not uncommon however. If you have a shootout of two things and the underdog wins, you can, if you feel the need to, "lean" the article towards your favorite to give the comparison a specific note.

[thedguy]

In the next moment, it hammers from 0 to 100 [km/h] within 4.9 seconds accompanied by a slightly disappointing V8-roar compared to the Audi. The fact that the Audi wins this race is down to its advantage on the first few meters due to its all wheel drive. Beyond highway speeds, the Audi has to admit defeat. The Vette reaches 200 [km/h] a whole 2.1 seconds quicker than Ingolstadt's citizen.

I see the German Press are a bit better at drag racing than the English Press

At all, the 6.2 liter V8 brings tears of joy to your eyes. Regardless of doing 5000 revs in secord or 900 in sixth – the engine responds to the throttle perfectly jerk-free, revs like a dervish and hammers an easy smile in your face that would put John Wayne to shame.

I'm glad to see they actually reviewed the engine the way it should be, not based on hp/litre.

[Karoug]

The Vette is lighter and has moar powah, And it's not as butt-ugly as the Rat.. I think this should put an end to the R8 vs. Z06 thread...

[SoxXpupPeT]

Originally Posted by Karoug

The Vette is lighter and has moar powah, And it's not as butt-ugly as the Rat.. I think this should put an end to the R8 vs. Z06 thread...

even considering that the Z06 has 70 more HP. im just really glad to see a proper review on two rival cars such as those. shows that americans can build decent cars to the say the least

[Labcoatguy]

Originally Posted by Karoug

The Vette is lighter and has moar powah, And it's not as butt-ugly as the Rat.. I think this should put an end to the R8 vs. Z06 thread...

Especially considering that it's the normal C6 Vette and not the Z06 in this shootout. Oh, and technically it's from Kentucky, not Michigan, but we'll let the European ignorance of American geography slide

[Karoug]

I can quote myself from the z06 or r8 thread:

Originally Posted by Karoug

The r8 has trouble keeping the standard c6 behind it... So the z06 would eat it..

/smugness off

And yes i've always been a Vette fan...

[Crazyjeeper]

Woohoo, hats off to Chevrolet.

*Waits for the euro-snobs to come in and say that the article was wrong*

[Buba]

^ No it isn't.
The new C6 is terrific!
Never really liked the R8. Goes round the ring in the same time as a E92 M3, I'll just take that one, please...

[argatoga]

Before our new wave of trolls jumps in (we have Euro snobs now who would have guessed?) I would like to say that all this praise for American cars comes as a result of America now producing world class cars. It was not long ago that all the Big 3 produced was mostly garbage, now we see them make incredible cars and as such we are rightfully proud.

[Spectre]

Let's not forget that they're still making garbage and that the UAW isn't helping... but the amazing thing is that they're making a number of really good vehicles *in spite of those handicaps*.

Wasn't all that long ago that certain Europeans sniffed at American engineering as only being good enough to make razors and refrigerators. They learned otherwise in the course of a few short years; looks like we're working on the refresher course now.

[Karoug]

Let's not get ahead of ourselfs here.. We shouldn't say that they make incredible cars just because they manage to squeez out something good by mistake... I mean not even you americans can fail all the time..

*Flamesuit on*

Keep your panties on, I was only joking..

[Spectre]

Um, yeah, we can have years with NOTHING good. Trust me. You didn't get the US domestic market from the 70s. It was truly terrible, and didn't get much better until about 93 (when Chrysler introduced the New Ram and LH cars).

Besides, with GM, there's a pattern of good things now - the Saturn Sky, the C6, the CTS and CTS-V and the prior CTS/STS...

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by Karoug

Let's not get ahead of ourselfs here.. We shouldn't say that they make incredible cars just because they manage to squeez out something good by mistake... I mean not even you americans can fail all the time..

*Flamesuit on*

Keep your panties on, I was only joking..

one thing to say.


LOLVO

[Labcoatguy]

Originally Posted by Spectre

(when Chrysler introduced the New Ram and LH cars).

Have you (or someone you trust) had personal experience with the LH cars? I'm considering getting a 2nd generation LH (2000 and onwards) sometime in the near future. I know that the 2.7 V6 is to be completely avoided; any other thoughts?

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by Labcoatguy

Have you (or someone you trust) had personal experience with the LH cars? I'm considering getting a 2nd generation LH (2000 and onwards) sometime in the near future. I know that the 2.7 V6 is to be completely avoided; any other thoughts?

My friend has an 01 ( i think) intrepid. Is that considered an LH car? He beats the hell out of it, but it keeps going.

[Spectre]

Yeah, I've got some experience with them, and a friend had nothing but LH cars from the mid-90s until last year. I put 4500 miles on one in eight days back in 98.

1. Buy the largest engine available for a given year and model LH - not because of the added power but because the smaller displacement engines were all pretty much disasters, as you noted.

2. Their major weakness is their transaxles; they only go about 75,000-125,000 before needing a rebuild. After a rebuild, they go the same distance before needing another. Fortunately, rebuilds are relatively reasonable. Add a bigger aftermarket transmission cooler and you will probably get a LOT longer lifespan out of it.

3. They're cavernous inside, they handle fairly well and they were probably the best values in their class when new (if you go by size vs. price). The 300M variant was probably the best handler of the bunch, as it was designed to be. The interiors are good -boring and not the most expensive looking or feeling, but they're at least acceptable and the plastics aren't embarrassing in anything but the most base cars.

Really, IMHO, the only thing really wrong with the LH car was which end was propelling it. Since you've seen me around here, you'll know that that's actually a high compliment from me.

Originally Posted by starfox07

My friend has an 01 ( i think) intrepid. Is that considered an LH car? He beats the hell out of it, but it keeps going.

That's a 2nd gen LH, yes.

Yah, that's my experience with them, too. They're very sturdy cars. My neighbor owns a 95 that's totally beat to hell with a billion miles on it, the climate control system died last year, and the composite front fenders have holes from where she's had parking accidents with it plus I don't think she's maintained it at all in the last two years - but it just keeps going. I'd say it's a worthy successor to the old Dodge Dart.

[JCE]

GM 6.2L V8 = 437bhp
Audi 4.2L V8 = 420bhp

I'm sick and tired of the American car companies throwing more and more displacement into their engines to get more power. Obviously America has talented educated people--but where are they in engine design?

I'd still take the R8 for the following reasons not in any particular order:

• Its German
• Looks better
• Is more comfortable
• Is undoubtably built better
• Better noise
• Has a proper rear suspension
• Has modern technology
• Did I mention its more comfortable?
• Will be a classic someday--the only classic Vettes are any made before 1983
• The Corvette has looked the same since 1983--it is in need of a facelift or the axe

[Spectre]

JCE: If the displacement goes up, but the fuel economy is the same as a smaller motor.... what does it matter?

[Labcoatguy]

Originally Posted by Spectre

2. Their major weakness is their transaxles; they only go about 75,000-125,000 before needing a rebuild. After a rebuild, they go the same distance before needing another. Fortunately, rebuilds are relatively reasonable. Add a bigger aftermarket transmission cooler and you will probably get a LOT longer lifespan out of it.

3. They're cavernous inside, they handle fairly well and they were probably the best values in their class when new (if you go by size vs. price). The 300M variant was probably the best handler of the bunch, as it was designed to be. The interiors are good -boring and not the most expensive looking or feeling, but they're at least acceptable and the plastics aren't embarrassing in anything but the most base cars.

Really, IMHO, the only thing really wrong with the LH car was which end was propelling it. Since you've seen me around here, you'll know that that's actually a high compliment from me.

That's really intriguing. My parents had a '94 Voyager whose transmission went out at ~40K, and the interior bits fell off one by one, so my Mopar experience is a bit colored by that. You just gave me some hope; I've been a huge fan of the 2nd gen LH's styling ever since I first saw them, and it's reassuring that it's not going to fall apart soon as I drive it away from the previous owner. Thanks for the advice!

[Spectre]

Short trips *will* decrease the lifespan of the transmission - but I think that it's due to insufficient trans cooling. As I said, other than the transaxle, they're very sturdy cars.

The minivan uses the same transaxle but weighs a lot more - their transmissions go out sooner. The Intrepid R/T version weighed 3563lbs (surprisingly light for the size), the minivan is almost a half-ton heavier at 4224 and going north from there.