For a long time, Porsche has been the supercar or super fast car that more people aspire to than any other – mainly because Porsches are cheaper than other hot cars in their class.

Also, quite a number of Porsches are made, so the older ones can be bought quite cheaply. For example, there is still a good market for the older front-engined Porsches like the 944 and 968. The problem is that they get bought by boy racers who can’t really afford them, so they are often not in good condition.

After 60 years, Porsche still clings to the rear-engined layout it inherited from Volkswagen in the early days for the 911. True, the more modern Porsches, such as the Boxster and Cayman are mid-engined. There is a world of difference between mid-engined and rear-engined, with mid-engined cars having much better cornering.

Audi R8 competed with top 911s

For this reason, when Audi introduced its Audi R8, it was seen as a serious rival to the Porsche 911, and 911 Turbo, and it most certainly is a super fast car, having an aluminum frame with a lusty V-8 engine and a very good paddle-controlled gearbox. It is very fast, and corners very well.

Audi may not have the history of Porsche, but there is no doubt that the Audi R8 is a true rival to the 911. It is priced between the 911 and 911 Turbo, and offers good looks, good handling and plenty of power. However, if you want a 2+2 then the 911 is a better bet, so long as you can live with the handling. The 911 is also a good bet because it combines good allround power with good fuel economy.