Ordinarily, if you were to line up an Audi TT and an Audi R8 for a drag race, it would be the mid-engined supercar that easily outsprinted its smaller and less powerful sibling. However, this race between a TT RS and an R8 is a little different than most as the duo have been comprehensively modified.
The pair of powerful Audis star in a new video from the Officially Gassed channel on YouTube and compete in a handful of drag races from a standing start, as well as a handful of rolling races. Both cars are incredibly quick and are very well-matched. There’s a good reason for that.
You see, the TT RS in the video doesn’t simply have a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder like a standard RS model with 395 hp and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque. Instead, it has been equipped with an enlarged aftermarket turbo and is also rocking water/methanol injection, an engine tune, and a fully-built engine. It pumps out approximately 1,000 hp while tipping the scales at 3,042 lbs (1,380 kg).
Read: Audi TT RS Iconic Edition Capped At Just 100 Examples, Only Available In Nardo Grey
Then there is the R8. Its 5.2-liter V10 has been supplemented by a pair of Garrett GTX35 turbochargers and also has an engine tune, a titanium exhaust, and an upgraded low-pressure fuel pump. It is good for 1,100 hp. However, while the R8 has the power advantage over the TT RS, it is quite a bit heavier, weighing in at 3,560 lbs (1,615 kg).
In the first of the two rolling races held, the TT RS got the jump off the line and came out victorious but in the second race with both cars taking off at the same time, it was a photo finish with the R8 just edging out its smaller brother.
The drag races were also very close and while the R8 won both, the TT RS actually proved to be slightly quicker, hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.53 seconds compared to the 2.58 seconds of the R8. The TT RS also ran a best quarter-mile of 9.79 seconds, a touch quicker than the 9.86 seconds of the R8.