Racing cars no longer in production

In Bradenton, Florida, a discontinued Audi R8 and a discontinued Nissan GT-R raced over 400 meters in a lightning-fast duel that lasted 8.88 seconds. The race, filmed at the Bradenton Motorsports Park, showed a massive gap at the finish line, but the time alone was not enough to definitively separate the two cars.

Background on the cars' production

The Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R, both no longer in production, have been heavily prepared for drag racing. The R8, which left the Heilbronn production line in Germany at the end of 2024 after a ten-year career for its second generation, and the GT-R, known as "Godzilla," which retired from the Kaminokawa plant in the Tochigi prefecture in August 2025, had previously been assembled since December 2007.

Nissan GT-R's specifications

The Nissan GT-R R35 had a 3.8-liter V6 twin-turbo engine, all-wheel drive, and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Its power increased from 473 horsepower at launch to 592 horsepower in its most powerful versions. The GT-R could reach 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and exceeded 315 km/h at full throttle.

Audi R8's specifications

The Audi R8, on the other hand, had a 5.2-liter V10 naturally aspirated engine, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive depending on the version, and shared many mechanical components with the Lamborghini Huracan. In its most powerful versions, the V10 produced more than 600 horsepower, allowing it to reach 0 to 100 km/h in about three seconds and the quarter-mile in a little over 10.5 seconds.

Details of the race

The race was filmed and shared on YouTube by the Wheels Plus channel. The video showed the two cars getting ready on a 400-meter standing start and launching into a noise of heavily prepared mechanics. The fastest of the two crossed the line in 8.88 seconds with an exit speed exceeding 265 km/h. The other finished in 10.21 seconds, about 1.4 seconds more, an enormous gap on such a short distance.

Implications of the race

The race showed that even after their industrial careers ended, an Audi R8 and a Nissan GT-R can still surprise, leaving the spectator with a final question in mind: which one would you bet on when the Christmas lights go on?