[VIDEO] C8 Corvette vs the Original Audi R8: Everyday Driver Asks Which Gamechanger You’d Rather Have

If you were to make a list of one to five-year runs that produced the most paradigm-shifting sports cars, the one-two punch of 2008/2009 makes a strong case for itself. Those years, most remembered for their economic downturn, gifted us a trifecta of world-beaters in the hard-launching R35 Nissan GT-R, the all-powerful C6 Corvette ZR1, and the excellent Audi R8 that helped us weather the recession and put Porsche and Ferrari on notice with their eye-popping performance AND surprisingly reasonable price tags.

Fast forward to the present day, and even though we’re staring down the barrel of another slumping economy, the sports car marketplace is drastically different – and, pun-intended, more depressing – this time around. While the Chevrolet Corvette has not only maintained but somehow improved its ability to flip the sports car hierarchy on its head, the go-fast arena of the 2020s has been chiefly notable for two unfortunate calling cards: 1. Losing models/market share (both the GT-R and R8 are dead without replacements), and 2. The surviving cars more often than not being replaced by quicker but ultimately less-desirable successors – does anyone honestly want a frumpy 5,400 lb. hybrid M5 instead of its predecessor, a new electric (it costs how much!?) or “Six-Pack” Charger over the old 392 (not to mention Hellcat) version that could also be had in also-now-deceased Challenger and 300C bodies, or a Ferrari that’s missing two cylinders?

The always thorough and beautifully shot Everyday Driver YouTube channel recently noticed that a perfect recipe of depreciation and price bloat has brought these two eras of game-changing performance cars dangerously close together in value. As E.D. (maybe we should rethink that abbreviation?) already owns an example of the modern benchmark C8 Stingray, all they had to make this fight a reality is find a first-gen R8 to toss in the ring.

Luckily, an EDD (that’s better!) viewer stepped up to the plate with a lovely green example, and it was on like Donkey Kong. While most fondly remember the Lord of the (four) Rings as having V8 and V10 flavors, it started life with just the former available. Audi’s celebrated 4.2L naturally-aspirated eight was notable for making 100 HP per liter for a total of 420 ponies in 2008. Combined with the traction of Quattro all-wheel-drive, a stunning body, and a gated six-speed secret sauce borrowed from Italy, Car and Driver dubbed the OG R8 “Sports-car perfection from an unexpected source.”

The Stingray, no stranger to compliments itself, employs the latest version of the legendary Small Block Bent Eight, the “LT2.” While displacing two full liters more than the Audi’s powerplant, the ‘Vette’s 6.2 actually checks in some ten pounds lighter – weight that it also carries lower – than the DOHC German mill. It leverages its extra volume to make 75 more horsepower (495) while also putting an astonishing torque gap on its elder competitor (470 vs. 317). Like all pre-E-Ray Corvettes, it makes do with just two driven wheels out back, but unlike any previous ‘Vette, it is equipped with a fast-shifting dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The mid-engine Corvette that famously debuted with an MSRP under $60k now starts at $70 grand, but without factoring in the newer/ more exotic and costlier Z06, has an average transaction price somewhere between $83,000 and $106,000. That puts it squarely in the territory occupied by the Audi. The R8 debuted with a base price just under $110,000, and the more sought-after three-pedal examples have held their value incredibly well. A quick search of Cars.com yields ten manual transmission examples under $100,000. These include a basement value of $51,000 (that, upon further inspection, is lying about its gearbox) and the Goldilocks of mileage and price that we’d go for if it were our money.

The elephant on the scenic Rocky Mountain roads of the video is this: all other things make these cars look like good sparring partners – they even tip the scales within 30 lbs. of each other – but, performance-wise, there’s a significant gap. Line them up side-by-side, say “go,” and the Stingray instantly leaves the R8 in its wake. Sixty shows up in just 2.8 seconds for the ‘Vette; the R8 doesn’t get there until 4.3 seconds have elapsed. The hometown youngster has an even bigger can opened on the R8 by the century mark (7.2 sec. vs. 10.2) and the checkered quarter post, where it crosses 1.6 seconds and 10 MPH before its spiritual kin (11.2 @ 122 vs. 12.8 @ 112). The Chevy also stops from 70 mph eleven feet shorter (149 to 160) and holds on to the skidpad tighter (1.03 g vs. .98 g) despite wearing far less extreme rubber than its present-day Corvette stablemates.

Press play below to see how the EDD fellows reconciled the disparity in speed with the draw of the Audi’s looks, rarity, and, most importantly, the sweet, sweet analog factor that it brings to the table while you make up your own mind. Then, just for fun, visit the comment section to drop your personal desirability ranking for the four game-changing cars we’ve discussed here today. For this blogger, it has to go: 1. C6 ZR1, 2. R8 manual and 3 is a tossup, with the C8 coming out on top if we’re talking about an ’09 GT-R and the Nissan earning the nod if we include the admittedly pricy but undeniably awesome Purple and Green farewell editions.

Source:
Everyday Driver

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