Facelifted R8 vs 991 Carrera 4
No, we haven't scored the first twin test but for all you spec nerds here are the numbers!
Truth be told the two ranges aren't exactly in line, the Carrera 4 starting at £77,924 for a manual coupe and peaking at £99,006 for a 4 S Cabriolet with PDK. The R8 is, arguably, a class above and starts at £91,575 for a V8 manual coupe, rising to £127,575 for the new V10 Plus.
It's the same in power terms, the entry level 911 offering 350hp against the R8 V8's 430hp and the 4 S's 400hp falling way short of the 'basic' V10's 525hp.
Fundamental similarities remain though. Both are junior supercars with respectable prestige badges that won't scare the neighbours in the way something saucier like an Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lambo or McLaren might. An affirmative nod rather than a raised eyebrow and the whiff of trying too hard, if you will. Both are built from aluminium and are four-wheel drive, all-weather capable, happy to be used every day for 'normal' driving and both, now, can be had with seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes that pretty much tick all the boxes of ease of use, residual protection and a nod towards real world fuel consumption and CO2. Crucially both are now acceptable choices in two-pedal form for the more purist end of their respective markets too. Quietly both have become, for the sake of a few options, six-figure purchases too.
And in the middle of the ranges - Carrera 4 S and R8 V8 - the overlap is pretty close. Price, performance, weight - all are to within a smidge of each other meaning anyone with £90K-plus to spend and the desire to own a prestige, four-wheel drive German sports car should be bending the ear of both Audi and Porsche sales execs.
So which is it to be? Well, having gone through the numbers if you're looking for an everyday option there's little doubt the Porsche absolutely nails the Audi in one crucial respect. Two, if you include token rear seats. But stats wise 218g/km and 31mpg for a PDK 4 S are figures you could just about live with on the daily commute. 22.9mpg and 289g/km are big improvements for the new S tronic V8 R8 but, running costs wise, put you in a very different league indeed. And the 991 is essentially a brand-new car, the R8 an updated version of one that's been on the market six years now. Against that, even with the Audi badge on it, it does come across as a lot more exotic than the near ubiquitous (in some districts) Carrera.
Numbers for your crunching pleasure below. But which is actually the more desirable? Over to you...
Carrera 4 | Carrera 4 S | R8 V8 | R8 V10 | R8 V10 Plus | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price (from) |
£77,924 £80,311* |
£87,959 £90,346* |
£91,575 £94,475* |
£112,675 £115,575* |
£124,675 £127,575* |
Engine | 3.4 flat-6 | 3.8 flat-6 | 4.2 V8 | 5.2 V10 | 5.2 V10 |
hp@rpm | 350@7,400 | 400@7,400 | 430@7,900 | 525@8,000 | 550@8,000 |
lb ft@rpm | 288@5,600 | 324@5,600 | 317@4,500 | 391@6,500 | 398@6,500 |
kg (EC) | 1,505/1,525* | 1,520/1,540* | 1,560/1,585* | 1,620/1,645* | 1,570/1,595 |
g/km | 219/203* | 234/215* | 332/289* | 346/305* | 346/299* |
mpg (comb.) | 30.4/32.8* | 28.5/31* | 19.9/22.8* | 19.0/21.6* | 19/21.9* |
vmax | 177/175* | 185/184* | 187/186* | 196/195* | 198/197* |
0-62mph | 4.9/4.7* | 4.5/4.3* | 4.6/4.3* | 3.9/3.6* | 3.8/3.5* |
*PDK | *PDK | *S tronic | *S tronic | *S tronic |
All figures and prices for coupe variants.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Coupe
991421 911 Carrera 4S Coupe £ 81,232.00
Exterior Colour N4 Dark Blue Metallic £ 801.00
Interior Colour AZ Black leather interior £ 2,201.00
Exterior 567 Top tinted windscreen £ 77.00
636 ParkAssist (front and rear) £ 639.00
653 Electric glass slide/tilt sunroof £ 1,530.00
748 Electric folding exterior mirrors £ 202.00
P13 Automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors with integrated rain sensor £ 372.00
XEX Bi-Xenon headlights in black incl.Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS)Exclusive £ 878.00
Transmission / Chassis 031 Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control(PDCC) incl. PASM sports chassis (20mm lower)£ 2,744.00
450 Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake(PCCB)£ 5,787.00
X51 Powerkit Carrera S Exclusive £ 9,388.00
Wheels 427 20-inch Carrera Classic wheel £ 728.00
Wheel Accessories 446 Wheel Centres £ 109.00
482 Tyre Pressure monitoring system (TPM) £ 437.00
XRP Wheel spacers, 5mm Exclusive £ 235.00
Interior 342 Heated seats £ 320.00
345 Heated steering wheel £ 182.00
541 Seat ventilation £ 720.00
810 Floor mats £ 121.00
P07 Adaptive sports seats plus, electrical 18 way £ 2,226.00
XSX Guards Red seat belts Exclusive £ 275.00
Interior Leather EEA Leather interior package Exclusive £ 368.00
XHB Leather centre console trim Exclusive £ 162.00
XNG Leather instrument surround Exclusive £ 182.00
XNS Leather steering column casing Exclusive £ 223.00
XSC Porsche crest embossed on head restraints Exclusive £ 138.00
Audio / Communications 619 Mobile phone preparation £ 445.00
676 TV tuner £ 1,044.00
682 Burmester® High-End Surround Sound System £ 2,986.00
P23 Porsche Communication Management (PCM) including navigation module with universal audio interface £ 2,120.00
T93 Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) £ 1,140.00
UN1 Online Services £ 121.00
Others A01 3rd Year Porsche Assistance £ 169.00
WO5 3rd Year Warranty £ 1,020.00
Total price £ 121,322.00
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