Audi R8 RWS vs C8 Corvette Z06: Which One Is Better to Actually Own?
The owner of this 2018 Audi R8 RWS has loved it for years now, but after acquiring a new Z06, he’s having a change of heart.
While the Corvette has been around for a whopping 70 years to this point, America’s sports car didn’t make the switch to a proper mid-engine format until the C8 generation arrived in 2020. Since then, we’ve seen the newest Corvette compared to just about every mid-engine supercar on earth, including the Audi R8, and the arrival of the track-focused 2023 Corvette Z06 has only further complicated this great debate of performance versus cost, given that model’s incredible value proposition. However, when you already own a 2018 Audi R8 RWS – as is the case with YouTuber EddieX – and then purchase a brand new 2023 Corvette Z06, it begs the question – which one is actually better to live with, not just drive in some sort of quick comparison test or exclusively on a track?
This is a compelling question because, well, that’s what most of us do with our sports cars – we drive them around town, in the canyons, and perhaps even on shorter trips. Most of us don’t drive these types of cars exclusively on the track or at/near their limits all of the time, as is the case with many journalistic tests. The beauty of this particular comparison is that both the Audi R8 RWS and C8 Corvette Z06 share a lot in common, too – both are mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, naturally-aspirated, two-seat sports cars, making this a nicely balanced battle.
Of course, things diverge a bit from there, as the Audi R8 in this test is equipped with the 5.2-liter V10 making 532 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, while the Corvette has a 5.5-liter V8 generating 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet, with an 8-speed dual-clutch behind it. What makes the R8 unique, of course, is that this is the rear-wheel-drive RWS model, which means that it has some unique components such as stiffer Bilstein dampers, a beefier anti-roll bar, and a fixed steering ratio.
The RWS is also roughly 110 pounds lighter than its Quattro counterpart, giving it an advantage in that regard. Our host daily drove this particular example for some time, and he clearly adores it, calling it “one of the most well-rounded sports car/supercars in this space.” It’s comfortable, easy to drive, and is just downright “easy to live with,” yet also exciting and more comfortable/reasonable than something like, say, a Lamborghini Huracan. Of course, it’s slower than the far more powerful Z06 – 0-60 takes 3.7 seconds versus 2.6 – which isn’t a huge surprise, at least.
On the flip side, our host notes that the new Z06 is “epic,” and an “animal,” a car that’s incredibly capable on the track – far more so than the Audi R8 RWS. It’s capable of taking down pretty much anything in that regard, however – even cars costing three times as much – but it’s also quite usable on regular roads as well, thanks to its Magneride suspension and abundance of creature comforts. All of that makes the C8 Z06 a pretty compelling option, as our host points out.
“The Z06 is just more in every way and that’s not saying the R8 is bad,” he notes. “It’s a phenomenal car. I still love that car, but it doesn’t have as much power as this. It doesn’t have as much excitement. The capabilities aren’t as high, it doesn’t have as much attacking. This Z06 engine, this LT6 flat plane crank, you can’t be sad driving a Z06.”
There is, of course, just one big caveat here worth mentioning – both of these cars cost around $150k new in this particular spec, but there’s essentially no way you’re going to go out right now and find a Z06 – particularly with the Z07 package, as seen here – for that price, unless you order one and wait for who knows how long to get it, from a trustworthy dealer willing to sell it to you sans markups. On the other hand, you can probably go out and find a 2018 Audi R8 RWS like this for a far better deal – at least for now. And when we consider the fact that a Z06 Z07 may wind up costing you twice as much as a comparable Audi R8, well that might just change some people’s minds.
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