770 HP Audi S8 Battles RS3-Swapped Golf R in Ultra-Close Drag Race

Modified Audi S8 vs Volkswagen Golf R Drag Race

This Audi S8 makes far more power than the Golf R, but it also weighs more, resulting in one of the closest matchups we’ve seen.

Drag racing is a fascinating sport for a variety of reasons, but to us, one of the best things about it is getting to watch very different machines battle it out in a straight line. While many sports match up competitors based on skill or capability, that isn’t always the. case in drag racing, at least in the “run what you brung” sort of situation. That’s exactly what took place in this latest showdown conducted by the YouTube channel Officially Gassed, which pits a pair of modified German vehicles – an Audi S8 and Volkswagen Golf R – against each other.

However, these two cars do share one thing in common that most wouldn’t expect – an engine, or at least an engine from the same manufacturer. That’s because the Golf R seen here is packing the same 2.5-liter inline-five cylinder engine as the Audi RS3, and in this guise, it’s been boosted to around 520 horsepower thanks to a tune and a few other goodies. It also utilizes the RS3’s gearbox and rear end, and weighs in at around 3,300 pounds.

Modified Audi S8 vs Volkswagen Golf R Drag Race

In the other corner, we have the Audi S8, which has received one big update for its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 as well, giving it a substantial 770 horsepower to play around with. Amazingly enough, this car needs nothing more than just a tune to achieve that mark, but as one might imagine, it’s quite a bit heavier than the Golf R, tipping the scales at around 4,400 pounds.

Modified Audi S8 vs Volkswagen Golf R Drag Race

The very first race between these two is conducted from a roll, and despite their many differences, it’s a shockingly close one, with the Golf R just barely taking the win. However, there was some controversy regarding the VW driver jumping early, and the next go-round, they seem to be too conservative, giving the S8 an easy win. Amazingly, the third race was so close that it’s impossible to call, so the team goes to the numbers to decide, which shows that the Audi was indeed quicker.

From a dig, the Audi S8 proves to be superior in the first-go round, though the second round produces another race that was essentially too close to call. Thus, the two line up for a third time yet again, and in another photo finish, the Golf R takes home the victory. After reviewing the footage later on, however, it appears that the S8 actually won the second match, but regardless, this is easily some of the best racing we’ve seen in a while, which means that we’re all winners for getting to watch it all take place.

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1,200 HP Audi TT RS Takes on Wicked RX-7 in Intriguing Drag Race

1,200 HP Audi TT RS vs 1,000 HP Mazda RX-7

This heavily modified Audi TT RS proves to be a close match for the equally wicked Mazda, making for some exciting action.

Outside of our world, the Audi TT RS is somewhat of an unknown, a special performance machine that few are aware of, which is obviously a shame. We’ve always felt like the high-performance version of the already-cool TT is an amazing all-rounder, one that delivers a muscle car experience in a comfortable, luxurious, and handsome package. However, if you throw a couple turbos at it, the Audi TT RS can be taken to the next level, as we can see in this new video from Hoonigan’s This vs, That series.

The Audi TT RS in this video has been modified in a number of ways, giving its 2.5-liter inline-five cylinder powerplant a rather hefty output of 1,200 horsepower. Built by Iroz Motorsport, the little Audi features the company’s IMS 1000 kit, a huge air intake, billet manifold, nitrous, and some massive 2600cc injectors. A pair of carbon fiber seats help shed some pounds, along with a rear seat delete, but the stock dual-clutch transmission handles all that extra power with no modifications, while the suspension gets KW lowering springs.

1,200 HP Audi TT RS vs 1,000 HP Mazda RX-7

In the other lane on this particular day is an equally wicked Mazda RX-7 powered by a billet four rotor rotary powerplant with a 94mm Garrett turbo, sending its 1,000 horsepower to all four wheels (thanks to an AWD conversion) via a sequential six-speed transmission. The addition of that extra gear does give the RX-7 a bit of a weight penalty, however, as it tips the scales at 3,500 pounds versus the TT RS at just 3,000 pounds.

1,200 HP Audi TT RS vs 1,000 HP Mazda RX-7

So how does all of this translate to straight line performance? In the first race from a dig, the Mazda uses its traction advantage to get a jump on the Audi, which hangs right with it until the very end, though it ultimately loses out by a small margin. The rotary-powered beast isn’t quite as lucky in round two, however, as the Mazda struggles to find traction and the TT RS takes an easy win, setting up the third and final showdown to determine a winner.

This time around, it’s no contest, as the Audi TT RS rockets out to an early lead and holds it to the finish line, winning by the largest margin of the day. But these Hoonigan-hosted races are rarely this close, nor do they require a tie-breaker, so we can’t help but be impressed by how well these two very different machines match up.

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Audi e-tron GT Quattro and RS 3 Face Off in Fascinating Drag Race

Audi e-tron GT Quattro and RS 3 Drag Race

The battle between the new-school Audi e-tron GT and the iconic 5-cylinder turbo RS 3 is far closer than one might expect.

Audi – like many automotive brands – is in the midst of a major transformation from the traditional world of ICE-powered vehicles to all-electric ones. The days of gas-powered machines like the amazing new RS 3 are quickly – and sadly – coming to an end, which means that we have precious little time left to enjoy them. On the flip side, Audi’s newest EV models are also pretty darn impressive, particularly in terms of performance, offering up plenty of thrills, albeit without any sort of glorious engine sounds. However, when Car recently lined up the new Audi e-tron GT Quattro against an RS 3, the results were a bit more interesting than one might expect.

To be more specific, the concept-car-like Audi e-tron GT Quattro is no slouch in terms of its straight-line performance, with (up to) 522 horsepower coming from its dual electric motors – good enough to propel it to 60 mph in less than 3.9 seconds. As we’ve seen in the past, performance-focused EVs tend to make superior drag racers thanks to their instant torque, and that’s certainly the case with this stunning sedan.

Audi e-tron GT Quattro and RS 3 Drag Race

As good as the new Audi e-tron GT is, however, we can’t forget about the equally amazing RS 3. The sporty sedan is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that cranks out 401 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, sending that juice to all four wheels, just like its electrified counterpart. Thanks to a quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox, the RS 3 rockets to 60 mph in around 3.3 seconds – just a bit behind the e-tron GT.

Audi e-tron GT Quattro and RS 3 Drag Race

As such, this matchup looks pretty darn good on paper, though only a real-world test such as this truly tells the tale of how these two performance machines compare. As expected, the e-tron GT gets off the line a bit quicker than the RS 3, but the ICE sedan manages to hang with it after that. The two machines pretty much stay there the rest of the way down the quarter-mile, with the e-tron GT crossing the line in 11.6 seconds versus the RS 3’s 11.9-second pass. (Now imagine this race with the RS e-tron GT!)

While these are obviously two very different types of cars, it’s worth noting that the RS 3 is far cheaper – with a starting price that’s less than half of what it costs to get behind the wheel of a new e-tron GT. Given how close the two are in terms of performance, that makes it a rather compelling option for those that aren’t quite ready to take the all-electric plunge.

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Face Off: Audi S8 vs Porsche Panamera Turbo S

Audi S8 vs Porsche Panamera Turbo

There’s nothing like a little family feud, and watching these corporate cousins — Audi S8 vs Porsche Panamera Turbo S — go head-to-head is great fun.

While they’re corporate cousins, the Audi S8 and the Porsche Panamera Turbo are also natural competitors. After all, both hail from Germany, have sky-high price tags, and along with their luxurious environs, each packs a punch. So it’s only natural to want to find out which one is faster, and since most mere mortals don’t have the resources to commandeer both cars and an airstrip, we’ll just have to appreciate the fact that our friends at carwow did just that.

That said, before the hosts hit their throttles in anger, it’s worth noting that the representative from Ingolstadt is already behind, so this isn’t exactly a fair fight. As the tale of the tape reveals, the Audi’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 produces a robust 571 horsepower, and it tips the scales at 2,220 pounds. Instead of a dual-clutch,  it’s also using a conventional automatic transmission to send power to all four corners.

And while those numbers are nothing to sneeze at, Stuttgart’s uber sedan is better on paper. First off, the Panamera Turbo weighs about 150 pounds less than the Audi, and it’s also got more grunt. Because while it’s also using a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, here the mill is tuned to produce 630 ponies. Additionally, the Porsche comes with a dual-clutch gearbox, meaning shifts will be slightly quicker than the Audi’s.

So even if you’re not a math whiz, you should be able to figure out which car is going to cross the line first. But that doesn’t mean the contest is any less fun to watch. Plus, there’s always the possibility that a bad start could level the playing field. For what it’s worth, I happen to think that the Audi looks way better than the Porsche, even if its engine note isn’t as sexy. And hey, if you’re flush enough to be using this video to determine your next vehicle purpose? Consider yourself lucky!

Photos: YouTube

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World’s Best-Sounding Drag Race: 2023 Audi RS3 Squares Off Against Legendary Lexus LFA

best-sounding drag race2023 Audi RS3 with its 5-cylinder turbocharged unit makes a glorious sound. Oftentimes a turbocharged car doesn’t offer a thrilling sound as the turbo muffles the exhaust. But that is not the case with the RS3.

Sound is subjective but speed is objective. And in the speed department the RS3 is also a strong performer. But is it strong enough to take on a legitimate supercar? And is it really that much faster than the less expensive Audi S3? And what about when you throw a highly modified 1991 Audi 200 Quattro in the mix? Where does the RS3 rank in this oddball mix of cars? Jason Cammisa breaks this down in a video posted to the Hagerty YouTube channel. For good measure the video compares the Porsche Carrera GT with the Lexus LFA as well. Let’s consider that a bonus but focus on the Audi models for now.

R You Serious?

Audi RS3

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