Watch an Audi R8 RC car race the real thing

7 years, 11 months ago - 30 December 2016, motor1
Watch an Audi R8 RC car race the real thing
See if this 1/6 scale toy has enough grunt to beat the V10-powered real thing in a race. The results are closer than you might expect.

The latest Audi R8 is one of the most versatile supercars on the market. Its 5.2-liter V10 pumps out 540 horsepower (403 kilowatts) and 398 pound-feet (540 Newton-meters) of torque, but the ample power is easily usable. Owners can commute comfortably during the week and still turn amazing lap times at a local track day on the weekend. A new video from Autocar pits the Four Rings' driver friendly flagship coupe against a 1/6 scale radio-controlled model of the GT3 racing version in a series of three drag races.

To keep things fair, the cars race over just 220 feet (67 meters) because this equates to a sixth of a traditional quarter-mile run and better fits with the toy's scale. The tiny version of the supercar looks like a ton fun, too. It's quite adept at doing massive drifts that could get a driver into serious trouble in the real thing.

Britain's famously wet weather is the biggest flaw for these races, though. The RC car just can't fully put its power down on the wet tarmac. After just a few feet, the scale model spins out of control. The conditions are so tough for the little vehicle that the first run is a draw because the toy slides in front of the full-size version.

Despite the first run ending early, the other two go through the whole distance. Without spoiling the winner, the finish is quite close during both other races. For the final sprint, the RC driver gets into the real R8's passenger seat for better reception from the transmitter to the toy. Given the impressive result here, we would be very curious to see the results of this challenge in less damp conditions.