E92 M3 vs R8 4.2

[wkh023002]

Just a thought on this comparison. Audi R8 4.2 was regarded as supercar when it first announced. Not to mention today supercars which reach 500-600 hp level. Why E92 M3 could not be regarded as supercar in the same league as R8 and even Maserati GTS?

I am pretty sure M3 could catch up with R8 and GTS in track or street.

[TTony]

From a roll, M3 > R8

From a dig, it takes a little bit for the M3 to catch up and pass...

[wkh023002]

LOL, E92 M3 is always being underrated by outsiders. What a shame on audi their first so called supercar.

[Raek]

Because it's based off of a 3-series.

That's like calling anything in the GTS series of Porsche a super car.

[Transfer]

M3 isn't mid-engine with fancy view of the motor. Apparently that qualifies R8 V8 for supercar status. I saw one when they first debuted and was very impressed by the visuals.

[MFL]

M3 will always be the people's champ! I actually had a similar encounter with a better end-result for my old 2011 6MT M3.

[romemmy]

The V8 version of the R8 is hardly supercar material... The 5.2 V10 Plus could be classified as a supercar though. I really hate that mass produced manufacturers like Audi (and even BMW, Mercedes, etc), in an effort to maximize the availability of a car, build cheaper/less powerful versions with the same name.

For example, when the Audi TT was released it was only available as a 180HP or 225HP version. Then they decided to bring out a 150HP FWD just to bring the price point down and sell more of them. Way too many models with different engine options. They should have just had a 225HP Quattro version.

For the R8 they even experimented with diesel versions! This decimates the resale values, and I think cheapens the model overall (as an example, when someone says "I beat an R8", you now have to defend your own R8 and say "but it wasn't the 5.2L V10 Plus Plus Plus supercrazyversion that I have!!").

Personally I think they should have gone with...

Audi R8 - 4.2L V8
Audi R10 - 5.2L V10 (they could have the V10 and V10Plus they have now since it's the same engine)

As for comparing the R8 V8 with the M3 E92, I would say neither are supercars. Even the 2014 R8 V8 has a 0-62 of only 4.2s (and some of the older ones are as slow as 4.8s). The M3 E92 is quicker than that, but still not what I would call supercar performance.

Then again, I don't see the BMW i8 as a supercar either - 369HP, 4.2 seconds to 60 and 160mph top speed is way too slow.

Maybe a supercar should just be defined as a 200MPH car stock, with sub-3.5s 0-60 (since that's where most of the Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, etc, cars are)..

Thanks!

S.

[TTony]

Originally Posted by romemmy

Maybe a supercar should just be defined as a 200MPH car stock, with sub-3.5s 0-60 (since that's where most of the Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, etc, cars are)..

Many Lamborghini's & Ferrari's cannot reach 200mph. I would not look so much at the performance criteria but at the whole package.

Then there is the debate over which categories there are:

• Hyper Car (La Ferrari, P1, 918)
• Super Car (F40/F50, 720S, 959, Konigseggs, Bugatti's)
• Exotic Car (Most entry level Lambo's, Ferrari's, McClaren's)
• Sports Car (911, AMG GT)
• GT Car (M3, C63, RS5)
• Other Car (who cares)

The R8 goes somewhere in between the Sports Car and Exotic Car category. It's twin (the Gallardo or Huracan depending on model year) is definitely an exotic car though.

[romemmy]

Originally Posted by TTony

Many Lamborghini's & Ferrari's cannot reach 200mph. I would not look so much at the performance criteria but at the whole package.

Then there is the debate over which categories there are:

• Hyper Car (La Ferrari, P1, 918)
• Super Car (F40/F50, 720S, 959, Konigseggs, Bugatti's)
• Exotic Car (Most entry level Lambo's, Ferrari's, McClaren's)
• Sports Car (911, AMG GT)
• GT Car (M3, C63, RS5)
• Other Car (who cares)

The R8 goes somewhere in between the Sports Car and Exotic Car category. It's twin (the Gallardo or Huracan depending on model year) is definitely an exotic car though.

I know, my definition was somewhat tongue in cheek (hence the emoticon)... Though, while my 570S Spider would be "Exotic" by your definition, I definitely feel (as well as reviewers I've seen) that it still falls in to supercar territory. Probably because I (like many) only see GT Car, Sports Car, Supercar and Hypercar as categories - I've never really seen anyone talk about an "Exotic" car category - typically "Exotic" would be a broader class of car, which both Super and Hyper cars in it.

Therefore in that view, the R8 V8 falls in the sports car category, and the R8 V10Plus falls in the supercar category. The regular R8 V10 is borderline supercar.

Thanks!

S.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Audi R8 v8 is a great car and a league above the e9x in many regards. Both great cars just very very different.

Even suggesting the e9x is a supercar or should have been is laughable. The Audi R8 v8 is a super car is debatable.