If you’ve ever wondered how much of a difference well under 100 PS can make between two rather identical supercars, you’re about to get your answer.
What we have here is a 540 PS (532 HP) Audi R8 V10 and its 610 PS (601 HP) V10 Plus sibling, with only 70 PS (69 HP) between them. Torque figures are almost identical, with the Plus putting down 560 Nm (413 lb-ft) and the plain V10 being good for 540 Nm (398 lb-ft).
Otherwise, you’ve got the same engine, all-wheel drive system, 7-speed dual clutch transmission and even the same Continental ContiSport rubber.
So what do you think? Close race, blow out, something in-between? Well, on paper, the V10 Plus needs just 3.2 seconds in order to hit 100 km/h (62 mph), whereas the V10 is 0.3 seconds slower. The latter is also beaten when it comes to its top speed, reaching 320 km/h (198 mph) flat out, with the Plus version being able to climb a bit further to 330 km/h (205 mph).
So, there’s no denying the V10 Plus being quicker – as it should, of course. The only question is, how much of a difference will 70 PS (69 HP) and 20 Nm (14 lb-ft) of torque make in a 1 km (0.62 miles) race?