Audi R18 e-tron quattro meets the Eurofighter Typhoon

The world of LMP racing is highly competitive, and the Audi R18 e-tron quattro is one of the most advanced race cars to go on track. A mix of composite materials, an advanced powertrain and sophisticated engineering all culminate in a three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans and two-time World Endurance Championships winner.

Recently, Audi’s official magazine Encounter decided to introduce the R18 to the Eurofighter Typhoon, one of the most technologically-advanced figher on the planet. Powered by a pair of Eurojet EJ200 engines with up to 40,460 pounds of thrust, the multi-role fighter is also capable of carrying up to 7,500 kg of payload.

For the encounter, the car would be represented by three-time Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer, while for the plane, there is Eurofighter test pilot, Geri Krahenbuhl. First up, Krahenbuhl slotted himself into the R18 to find out that even though he has flown a plane that costs around 90 million euros (around RM400 million) each, the R18 proved to be quite a challenge.

“I was bit shocked by how little you can see out of it. There’s just a tiny slot to look out of, like a tank. “I also found the buttons pretty confusing. The clutch and a few other switches are intuitive, but the rest of the operating logic is extremely unfamiliar to me. The different colours of the switches and buttons would take some getting used to. In an aircraft, these things are purely tactile and kinesthetic,” he said.

“The main difference as far as I can see, is that the aerodynamics of a race car are entirely focused on ensuring it doesn’t take off while, in flying, we want to get off the ground as quickly as possible,” he added. By comparison, the Eurofighter will accelerate from a stop to Mach 1.3 at 36,000 feet, pretty much vertically, in 90 seconds. “It goes like a bat outa hell,” Krahenbuhl exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Lotterer’s time sitting in the plane was completely perplexing, even with his experience at behind the wheel of the R18. “Obviously, the sheer extent of the instruments and possibilities are fascinating. You can hardly compare a car, which moves in two dimensions, with an aircraft that moves in three dimensions,” he said.

“Perhaps people who already have a pilot’s license would be able to grasp the operating logic faster. I don’t have one, so a jet cockpit is something entirely new to me. The elements that we operate with our hands and feet in the race car are not comparable with the pedals, controls and switches in an airplane,” he continued.

Despite the differences between the two, both the R18 and Eurofighter represent the very best of what’s technical possible currently, require an immense amount of training to operate and demands the very best of their respective pilot/driver in terms of physical as well as mental prowess.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.