It was only a question of time, really. Eventually the four rings from Ingolstadt and the bull from Sant'Agata would go head-to-head with one another. Because even if the Audi R8 has kept a respectful distance in the marketplace to the Lamborghini Gallardo from which it's derived, humble pie is obviously no longer on the menu in the office canteen at Audi HQ.

At first the Audi R8 seemed entirely different, simply a stretched, German-size version of the Gallardo with a luxury kind of spin. After all, Audi is the world's fastest-growing luxury brand right now, while Lamborghini is exclusive and extreme, catering to a very select audience that wouldn't be caught dead in an Audi.

But when you see the 2011 Audi R8 GT in real life for the first time, you wonder what it is. Is it a celebration of Audi's nine victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans? Or is it evidence of a new corporate seriousness about the sports car business, not only a head-to-head confrontation with an exotic as serious as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera but also a warning shot across the bows of the Porsche 911 Turbo?

Audi R8 GT

When Audi set out to do the 2011 Audi R8 GT, it turned once again to Quattro GmbH, its specialty high-performance division in Nekarsulm, the site of Audi's long-forgotten NSU factory. Quattro GmbH has learned much building the Audi R8 LMS for GT3-class racing (notably at the Nürburgring 24 Hours), and maybe that's why you can order your R8 GT with ignition cut-off switches, four-point seat harnesses and even a full FIA-approved roll cage. Of course, the LMS features the race-prepped 592-horsepower version of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI's 5.2-liter V10, while the R8 GT has an iteration of this engine that makes 552 hp at 8,000 rpm and 398 pound-feet of torque at 6,500 rpm.

Audi has managed to lighten the R8 GT by some 386 pounds compared to the normal R8 V10. A curb weight of 3,362 pounds is very respectable for a midengine V10-powered exotic with all-wheel drive, even if this total is still some 209 pounds heavier than the Gallardo Superleggera. As a result, the R8 GT will take another tenth of a second in the sprint from a standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) compared to the Superleggera, although this means no important difference whatsoever, really. That's 3.6 seconds for the Audi R8 GT and 3.7 seconds for the Lamborghini.

It's more interesting to see where the Audi engineers found the excess weight in the R8. They eliminated 18 pounds by using lighter carpets, and the new seats are 66 pounds lighter. The bumpers and engine cover are now in carbon fiber, which shaves off 33 pounds, while removing the acoustic insulation around the V10 saves another 44 pounds. Other weight-saving measures include a magnesium subframe for the engine, lighter brakes, a lightweight exhaust system and a polycarbonate rear window. Oh, let's not forget the forged-aluminum 19-inch wheels and the carbon-fiber rear wing.

But in the end, it might come down to this. Neither the Superleggera nor the R8 GT can keep up with the pace of the 911 Turbo S.