Audi R10 TDI vs. Harrier GR7 Fighter

GOODWOOD, England - July 7, 2006: Following historic victories at Sebring and Le Mans, the Less than a month after a historic victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Audi R10 TDI was involved in another kind of race Thursday at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

But instead of a Lola, Courage or Porsche, the diesel-powered sports car went up against a different sort of opponent – a Harrier GR7 Jump Jet from the Royal Air Force! The two modern marvels faced off in a one-kilometer dash at RAF Wittering.

Despite the 650-hp Audi R10 TDI being designed to start races from a "rolling" as opposed a "standing start", the revolutionary diesel sports car was quicker off the line and in the lead for almost the whole distance before the Harrier GR7 just beat the Audi by literally a "nose" before it took off in front of a crowd of 5,000 spectators.

"It was essentially a ‘fun' race," explained Audi factory driver McNish. "But when a racing driver and a pilot get together it quickly becomes serious. To come so close beating a Harrier jet-fighter was a tremendous achievement once again for Audi TDI Power – especially if you consider that we didn't modify the R10 TDI for this ‘race'."