Aston Martin V12 Vantage vs Audi R8 vs Corvette ZR1: 2009 group test

The problem with building a world-beating supercar is that, sooner or later, you have to create a faster one. In the ongoing battle to deliver more power, more speed and more excitement, makers know that the only way to keep customers happy is to wheel out increasingly exotic new versions.

Our test trio here shows exactly what is possible when you go in search of the ultimate supercar. All three vehicles are the result of manufacturers pushing the boundaries of performance, packaging and price – and all three prove that, when it comes to such exotic machinery, too much is never enough.

The Audi R8 V10, Aston Martin V12 Vantage and Corvette ZR1 are the most focused models in their respective ranges. With price tags of £99,580, £135,000 and £106,605, they combine serious performance with the kind of exclusivity that buyers who want to stand out from the crowd demand. The big question is, can these highly strung pedigree machines really justify their inflated prices?

Does more power and performance automatically guarantee you a place at the top of the supercar desirability league table, or would you be better off saving tens of thousands of pounds and sticking to the standard models?

Used - available now

2026 BMW

i4

21,958 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £26,616

View i4

2023 Hyundai

Tucson

21,868 milesManualPetrol1.6L

Cash £18,690

View Tucson

2023 Volkswagen

Touareg

74,767 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £29,343

View Touareg

2024 SEAT

Tarraco

28,238 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £21,661

View Tarraco

We hit the road and the track in our German, British and American contenders to provide the answer...

Verdict

All three of these cars are hugely entertaining machines capable of savage performance and barely believable ground-covering ability. But there are key differences between them, in terms of both design philosophy and execution.

The Corvette ZR1 is a brutally fast model that serves up a driving experience which borders on the scary. It’s compromised in this company by its left-hand-drive layout and agricultural controls. For that reason, the American model finishes in third position.

Separating the Aston Martin from the Audi R8 is a trickier task. Both are accomplished all-rounders which make it easy to exploit the performance on tap. Simple to drive and impeccably built, either is a terrific choice for owners who want to use their supercar daily.

But for us, the Audi ticks the most boxes. The four-wheel-drive chassis is utterly foolproof without feeling nannying, while the ride quality and refinement have to be experienced to be believed. Although the V12 Vantage is arguably the most accomplished Aston we’ve ever driven, the best all-rounder here is the German machine – and it costs £35,000-odd less.

First place: Audi R8 5.2 V10

Audi’s mission to dominate the supercar market is going exactly to plan. Not content with owning Lamborghini – one of the world’s most celebrated marques – and having the mind-blowing R8 V8 in its line-up, the German giant has decided to bridge the gap between the two ranges with a new V10-engined R8.

A price just shy of £100,000 makes the R8 V10 the most expensive production Audi ever. It costs a cool £20,000 more than the standard V8-equipped machine, but a whopping £40,000 less than the cheapest Lamborghini Gallardo. However, with performance figures that virtually match those of the Italian machine, you have to wonder if there’s a catch somewhere.

In terms of design and engineering, the R8 V10 is near-identical to its V8 brother. According to Audi, the powerplant itself is so compact that only minor changes were necessary to install the 5.2-litre unit.

No alterations were required to the R8’s wheelbase, and the only reason the new car is 4mm longer than the V8 is that it features slightly modified bumpers.

Indeed, you’ll need to be something of an R8 expert to spot the key styling differences between the two models. Apart from wider side-blades – which allow more air to reach the engine bay – and the introduction of gloss black trim around the rear number plate, there are few details to distinguish the two. It’s the same story inside, where the only real difference is a rev counter that redlines at a heady 8,700rpm. Otherwise, the V10 is as beautifully crafted as the standard model. The driving position is flawless, while the switchgear and materials put the Corvette’s to shame. The cabin is also lighter and less oppressive than the Aston Martin’s.

Yet to really discover what the range-topping R8 is all about, you need to hit the road. The 518bhp V10 propels the hand-built aluminium-bodied machine from 0-60mph in just over four seconds and on to a top speed of 197mph.
But the bare figures tell only half the story. The R8 succeeds where other supercar wannabes have failed because of the way it drives. Despite ferocious firepower, the V10 is as docile and easy to get on with as an A3. And it sounds like an Audi should, emitting a warbling off-beat howl as the revs climb.

Combine this with the distinctive ‘clack clack’ of the open-gate gearbox, and you have a soundtrack to melt the hearts of supercar fanatics. Performance is breathtaking. The quattro four-wheel drive distributes power with an almost magical precision, letting you accelerate out of corners with astonishing ease. Steering which is loaded with feedback and perfectly geared makes the R8 feel far more compact than it actually is.

Factor in some of the most powerful brakes in the business, plus an amazingly supple ride courtesy of the standard-fit magnetic damping system, and you have what can only be described as one of the finest driving experiences on offer today.

Second place: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

It's fair to say most supercar buyers are looking for a model which will tell the world just how rosy their bank balance is. Glancing at the options in the £100,000 sector, you won’t find much design subtlety on offer. Except, that is, if you take a look at Aston Martin’s latest creation – the V12 Vantage. Despite being one of the company’s wildest offerings, it could never be accused of showing off.

Aston claims that most of the V12’s body modifications were derived from the N24 endurance racing car and, as a result, every new component has a job to do. In addition to creating extra downforce, the revised front splitter channels air to the brakes and radiator, while the bonnet vents remove heat from the engine bay and increase downforce by limiting the build-up of air pressure under the hood.

Packaging a 6.0-litre V12 into a car little longer than a Ford Focus is no easy task, and it’s testament to Aston’s engineering skills that you can’t tell the difference on the inside. Although the vast transmission tunnel makes the driving position snug, the Vantage feels like a proper supercar thanks to touches such as the hand-stitched leather dash, chunky aluminium gearstick and Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel.

Fire the engine into life and the cabin reverberates with that unmistakable V12 sound. The drivetrain is incredibly smooth: Aston has clearly worked hard to make this car as accessible as possible, and although you are always aware of its ferocious firepower, the Vantage can be driven along twisting back roads with ease.

Find a straight, though, and the V12 is transformed from a mild-mannered coupé into a four-wheeled missile. Thanks to its astonishing 570Nm of torque, the Vantage picks up speed with breathtaking ease, eating up vast chunks of road without breaking sweat. During our track time, it posted some amazing performance figures, including 0-100mph in only nine seconds.

Equally impressive is the model’s balance. Sticking a V12 into a car designed around a much smaller powerplant is a recipe for unruly handling but, again, Aston Martin’s engineers have done a supreme job. While the V12 engine weighs 100kg more than the V8, the introduction of lightweight materials in other key areas means this variant is only 50kg heavier than the standard model. As a result, the V12 Vantage is hugely entertaining to drive. The steering is direct, accurate and bristling with feedback, and although it can’t quite match the Audi’s for feel, it makes the Corvette’s seem distinctly agricultural. Add the superb carbon ceramic matrix brakes – standard-fit on the V12 – and you have a virtually flawless dynamic package.

At £135,000, the V12 Vantage is the most expensive car in this test. It’s also £15,000 more than the V12-engined DB9, which offers similar performance and more practicality. However, as a piece of supercar engineering, this Aston has few peers.

Third place: Corvette ZR1

When it comes to supercars, America and Europe have been conducting a one-way relationship over the years. While the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and Maserati have done good business in the States, their US counterparts have sold in tiny numbers to a loyal but dwindling band of enthusiasts on this side of the Atlantic.

Yet are we missing a trick? Has our love of European brands clouded our judgement about what makes a great supercar? The ZR1 is out to prove that the likes of Audi and Aston still have a lot to learn. It is the most powerful production Corvette ever made. Boasting a 638bhp supercharged V8, it’s just hit the UK with the biggest price tag ever attached to a ’Vette – a cool £106,605.

In terms of design, the car ticks all the supercar boxes. Gloriously retro, it features every trademark design touch: from the sunken quad tail-lamps to the Coke-bottle waistline, it manages to be old-fashioned and contemporary at the same time.
Put simply, you could never confuse the Corvette with anything else on the road.

Sadly, the Eighties’ timewarp approach isn’t quite so successful on the inside. While the driving position is decent enough and Corvette has tried hard to improve things with some snazzy trim, its two rivals are in a different league – both for their material quality and their high-end ambience.

But although the interior design is off the pace, that’s not a criticism you can level at the Corvette’s engine. One of the most potent motors on the market, this V8 is an incredible performer. It sends an avalanche of raw power to the back wheels with the merest flex of your right ankle. And while

it’s far from being the most refined or sophisticated unit ever made, it catapults the ZR1 from 0-60mph in only 4.5 seconds, and on to 100mph in 8.4 seconds.

To cope with all that firepower, Corvette has upgraded the chassis with Magnetic Ride Control that allows drivers to switch between Sport and Tour settings. Carbon ceramic brakes and Michelin run-flat tyres wrapped around 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels complete the dynamic package.

These enhancements go a long way to making the ZR1 feel more surefooted and focused than lesser Corvettes, but in this test it comes up short. Sport mode does tighten up the car’s reactions, yet it seems much less composed than its rivals, especially when the blower kicks in and threatens to snap the car in two. Traction, unsurprisingly, is the ’Vette’s biggest weakness. Combine a greasy roundabout with sledgehammer power delivery and darty steering, and you need the reactions of a fighter pilot to keep it all in line. Fortunately, the ZR1’s overworked traction control system does a decent job of pointing you in the right direction.

The Corvette has to be admired for its raw pace and single-minded approach to high-performance motoring. But £106,605 is an awful lot of money considering the car’s failings in other key departments.