The Audi R8 V10 and Dodge Viper TA are very different animals, but they are alike in that they both use naturally aspirated V10 engines. And while production of the Viper ceased a few years ago, it is still an excellent rival to the German thoroughbred – at least in a straight line.
In a bid to see how the two compare, YouTuber Track Day brought along a Viper and an R8 to an empty runway for a series of rolling drag races.
Before discussing the races, it’s worth talking about the specs. Slotted beneath the huge hood of the Viper is an 8.4-liter unit that sports a tune and aftermarket headers and is pushing out approximately 700 hp. Drive is sent to a six-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels.
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By comparison, the Audi R8 V10 featured has a 5.2-liter engine and this example features a ‘Stage 2’ tune and an exhaust upgrade that gives it about 670 hp. Rather than having a manual ‘box and rear-wheel drive, though, it delivers its power through all four wheels courtesy of a dual-clutch transmission.
Both of the races held were rolling races to negate the obvious advantage the Audi has off the line. In the first race from 40 mph (67 km/h), the Audi gets a slight jump and quickly stretches out a lead over the Dodge. As the speeds increase, the Dodge starts to catch up but not before the pair run out of tarmac.
In the second race, things are much closer. Both cars rocket off the line at nearly identical speeds and as the two continue down the runway, the Dodge ekes out a solid lead.