Audi R8 Performance: PH Trade-off!

Is there anything that can do quite what the Audi R8 Performance can for half the price? Well, yes, actually - and more...

There's a big risk of poking a hornets' nest here, but for this week's Trade-Off, we're revisiting our first drive of the facelifted Audi R8 - the one that resulted in an enormous thread on the PH forums which, essentially, saw R8 lovers and detractors locked in a debate more acrimonious and lengthy than Brexit itself.

The R8, said many of our readers, is nothing more than a big TT - a fact brutally brought home by the fact that a TT RS isn't actually a whole heap slower and, with two rear seats and a hatchback, actually more usable and practical day-to-day. 'Ah, but,' said the R8ers, 'A TT RS simply can't compare with the thrill and spectacle of that V10 engine, and nor can a TT offer the same supercar feel or chassis adjustability'.

We're wading into this fray with our take on the 'But for that money, you can get a...' argument. But we're not going to pick a TT RS - for one thing, it'd just be too easy, and for another, we tend to agree with the sentiment that it doesn't feel quite special enough to offer the same sense of occasion you get with an R8. What's more, it might be almost as quick - but can't actually match the performance of the R8 Performance, so to speak.

So, what else is there that offers the same combination of four-wheel drive, sensational performance, aural excitement, and a sense of occasion? Well, it's hard given the criteria not to look Porsche-ward, and in the direction of one of the R8's chief rivals: the 911 Turbo. This S would do the trick, fitted as it is with the Aero Pack, and it'd certainly have the pace to keep with the R8. Is it special enough? Opinions will differ. Either way, though, we can probably do better than an eight-year-old car with 60k on the clock.

Indeed, this Jaguar F-Type R AWD at just a year old is particularly tempting. It certainly looks pretty special, and with the aural accompaniment of that thumping V8 it's a pretty dramatic way to get around. But for all its noise and fury, the F-Type R isn't actually as quick as the R8 - or indeed, an Audi TT RS, and given that we've already judged the TT as not fast enough to be a real alternative, that rather precludes the Jag's selection here.

Indeed, the half-price hero we've selected to rival the R8 Performance this week is actually, according to the figures, faster. In fact, it's faster than almost anything this side of a bona fide hypercar. It's also equipped with four-wheel drive, and while not quite as aurally spectacular as the R8's V10 wail, it still sounds pretty special, the guttural warble of its V6 engine overlaid by the whooshes and chunters of its two turbos.

Yes, if you hadn't guessed already, it's the Nissan GT-R. This one, to be precise - which, with only a shade more than 5,000 miles on the clock and at a year old, is barely used, though it does get the benefit of a £12,000-plus saving on the list price. And as a 2017 model year car, it benefits from the 570hp version of Nissan's 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6, enough to give it an official 0-62 time of 2.8 seconds - 0.3 seconds up on the R8. Of course, that'll make little to no difference in the real world - indeed, you'll probably struggle to replicate the Nissan's figure - but the point is, the GT-R is every bit as quick as the new R8. Mind-warpingly quick, in fact.

It should be just as entertaining to drive, too. What's so special about the GT-R is how endlessly adaptable it is to whatever mood you might be in, with apex-clipping precision, tail-out larks, or any blend thereof available at your command. "The way 1,800kg can be so precisely controlled remains incredible, the whole car amenable to whatever way you want to drive," said the esteemed Mr Bird when he drove the MY17 GT-R. "The stability in the quick stuff is fantastic, the traction out of slower bends mighty and the brakes seemingly tireless despite some grumbling."

There are plenty of similarities beyond the fact that all four wheels are driven, too. Both of these cars top out at roughly 200mph - the Nissan losing out by 9mph to the Audi's 205mph top whack. Both weigh roughly the same, though again, the Nissan gives away 82kg. Yet despite this, both even post near-identical fuel consumption figures, so when you aren't pedalling hard, the Nissan shouldn't actually cost you any more to run.

What's more, the GT-R is just as usable as the R8; with its light controls and decent visibility, you can bimble around town in it almost as easily as though it were a Pulsar - although we won't pretend Nissan's powertrain possesses the refinement of Audi's engine and gearbox. Yet, in some ways, it can claim to outdo the everyday ownership experience of the R8; admittedly, they're tiddly ways, but those two extra seats mean you can strap the kids in for big days out - or subject a couple of adults to the most cramped and potentially terrifying passenger ride of their lives. The boot's about three times bigger, too.

Downsides? Well, it has to be said that the GT-R's interior can't match the plushness of the R8's, but as a Recaro edition, this example does at least come with some boudoir-esque red and black leather sports seats that jazz things up a little. What's more, for all of its plasticky nooks, that dash will at least be solidly screwed together, and you'll get all the toys you could ever need.

Yes, the GT-R loses out in the badging and styling stakes; you'll never look quite as swish turning up to a swanky dinner party in one as you will in the Audi. But if you're not too worried about things like that, and you fancy something that can do everything a brand-new R8 can - give or take - for half the price, then this year-old example makes a worthy alternative. Enough for you to halve your budget and choose it instead? We wouldn't half be tempted.

SPECIFICATION - AUDI R8 PERFORMANCE COUPE
Engine: 5,204cc, V10, petrol
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto, four-wheel drive
Power: 620hp at 8,000-8,250rpm
Torque: 428lb ft at 6,500pm
0-62mph: 3.1sec
Top speed: 205mph
Weight: 1,670kg
MPG: 24mpg (est)
CO2: 290g/km (est)
Price: £141,000 (est)

SPECIFICATION - NISSAN GT-R
Engine: 3,799cc V6 twin-turbo, petrol
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 570@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 469@3,300-5,800rpm
0-62mph: 2.8sec
Top speed: 196mph
Weight: 1,752kg (minimum kerbweight)
MPG: 23.9mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 275g/km
Price: £69,495

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mersontheperson

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