By Mike Rutherford

7th February 2007

Forget Manchester United's spat with Chelsea, the long-running Labour vs Conservative battle, and the Big Brother bust-up involving the delicious Shilpa Shetty and the foul Jade Goody. The clash that's more intriguing than any other in 2007 centres on two German car manufacturers. Last month, this magazine asked one of the biggest product-related questions of the year: will the Audi R8, which is due in showrooms this summer, be better than the Porsche 911?

	Porsche is yesterday's car for yesterday's men. The Audi R8 is for the people of tomorrow. And it looks better on the road than a 911

After driving both, Auto Express was right to conclude that at this early stage, the new kid on the block doesn't quite beat the automotive legend that's been around, in one form or another, for nearly half a century. Accurate though this verdict is, it needs qualifying. By default, the 911 has clung to its crown for too long, and a change at the top is needed, if only to give Porsche a kick up the rear.

The Honda NSX was heir apparent to the 'Supercar for the Real World' throne, but sold in surprisingly low numbers. Aston Martin's Vantage was and still is another very strong contender, but I hear worrying stories about Aston build quality and reliability. The Jaguar XK8 is fine, if in my view comparatively unexciting. And although the Mercedes SL is popular, it's another that stands no chance of unseating the 911.

So the responsibility falls on the 187mph, mid-engined, all-wheel-drive R8 to inherit the everyday-supercar crown. But after driving two showroom-spec versions on the road and track in recent days, and several 911s in the recent past, I agree with the magazine that, all things considered, the legendary Porsche hasn't been toppled from the number one slot... yet.

But it's inevitable that, for the time being, the 911 still has the edge. Audi is the new boy at the elite, supercar school. Porsche is at the other end of the scale - looking like a tired mature student or even a slightly cranky headteacher. The Stuttgart firm is a sports car specialist that has been in what can loosely be described as supercar territory for more than 40 years, and in that time it has had plenty of opportunities to make necessary improvements to the 911. Even today, it still isn't perfect, and deserves only nine out of 10 in my book.

But Audi of Ingolstadt is new to the supercar business - yet its offering deserves eight-and-a-half out of 10. When it irons out some of the R8's hiccups and faults (non-manual transmissions, luggage space and one or two styling points), the car will be closer to a nine. After engine options, including a powerful diesel, are eventually offered, there's a good chance that the R8 will overtake Porsche, and even score a maximum 10 in the everyday supercar league.

In the meantime, patient Audi isn't actively trying to steal too many sales from Porsche. This and next year's allocations of R8s - totalling around 1,200 in the UK - are already sold out. And wealthy, discerning customers have put their names and deposits down, knowing that the car will have a few teething troubles. Once they've been sorted out, and the engine-line up has been extended, I'm backing underdog Audi to win this war. Porsche is yesterday's car for yesterday's men. The R8 is for the people of tomorrow. And another thing: it looks better on the road than the 911 - especially from the rear. If I was putting my name and deposit down for a world-class supercar to be built - and delivered to me in three to four years' time - my order would be with Audi. The R8 really is that desirable.

Mike Rutherford writes for the Times, Daily Telegraph and Independent, presents ITV's Pulling Power and is founder member of the Motorists' Association

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