Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2010 Audi R8 VS 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo Near Phoenix, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi R8 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Lamborghini Gallardo doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The R8 has a standard Audi Backguard System, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Audi Backguard System moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Gallardo doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-wheel drive is standard on the R8. But it costs extra on the Gallardo.

Both the R8 and the Gallardo have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The Audi R8 weighs 605 to 726 pounds more than the Lamborghini Gallardo. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Lighter cars are also affected more by crosswinds.

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the R8 for 1 year and 5000 miles. Audi will pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Lamborghini doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Gallardo.

There are over 16 times as many Audi dealers as there are Lamborghini dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the R8’s warranty.

For more instantaneous acceleration and better engine flexibility in any gear, the R8’s engines produce their peak torque at lower RPM’s than the Gallardo:

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The R8 has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Gallardo doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The R8 stops shorter than the Gallardo:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the R8’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the Gallardo (104.3 inches vs. 100.8 inches).

The R8 4.2 FSI handles at .98 G’s, while the Gallardo LP550-2 Coupe pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Road & Track skidpad test.

As tested by Road & Track, the interior of the R8 4.2 FSI is quieter than the Gallardo LP560-4 Coupe AWD:

The R8 has 2.1 inches more front headroom and 2.8 inches more front shoulder room than the Gallardo.

The R8’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Gallardo’s available power window controls are spread out on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

The R8’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Gallardo’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The R8’s standard power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Gallardo’s power mirror controls are on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

The R8 offers optional automatic dimming rear and side view mirrors which automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Gallardo has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

To help keep the driver’s hands on the wheel, the R8 has standard steering wheel controls for the radio. The Gallardo doesn’t offer steering wheel audio controls.

The R8’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service available in a limited number of metro areas.) The Gallardo’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Wireless connectivity is standard on the R8, connecting the driver and passenger’s cell phones to the vehicle systems. This allows them to use the vehicle’s stereo and hand controls to place calls safely and easily. Lamborghini doesn’t offer wireless connectivity on the Gallardo.