Ferrari Enzo vs. Hohenester Audi Sport quattro
(I think this article is worth the real translation):
Now theyīve gone completly mad...fess up, thatīs what you thought when you saw that story.

Honestly we thought the same in the beginning: Enzo vs. tuned Sport quattro? "Crazy - but cool" was our first thought when Alfons Hohenester told us about his far out bet. Casually, the old school tuner from Ingolstadt told us about a friend having problems with the launch control in his Ferrari Enzo. "Then I told him that his Italian Diva didnīt have a chance against a real car like my Sport quattro anyway", Hohenester said with a smile. And to add insult to the injury "I bet that my quattro accelerates faster than your Enzo".
The answer from Ferrari-owner Martin Sonnleiter (not his actual name, ed.) answered instantly:"We have a bet."

So it comes that three weeks later a race transporter from Southern Germany, insured for 1 Million €, sets on itīs way for an abandoned airfield near Bremen.
There, on the AutoBild measuring track in Lemwerder, the unique acceleration duel is supposed to take place.

Two decades seperate the competitors. Here the Enzo, 2004 vintage. Fastest supersportscar of today. Price new 645000 Euro, only 399 made. The essiential supersportscar, back by immense F1 know-how.

Probably the only road car, where you measure your fuel stops with a stop watch.
There the Sport quattro, at itīs debut 1984 with 195000 Mark the most expensive German car of its time. With 224 cars made even more rare than the Enzo. Made for homologation - itīs the street legal version of the Group B beast. Und this oneīs even more violent through Hohenesterīs tuning.

The weather doesnīt play according to plan - yet: A cold breeze is blowing over the track. Itīs raining, too. Bad conditions - the competitors are getting uneasy.
But once the race truck opens itīs rear gate, thereīs devout silence
Below the Enzo with its bold front, above it the Sport quattro shows itīs edgy rear. Every single one a rarity, both a sensation.
The Enzo already looks fast when standing still, even the Pininfarina designed body goes compeltely without spoilers.

Thank to sophisticated aerodynamics with a flat underbody, rear diffusors and variable air inlets the Enzo sucks itself to the road - with around 750kg downforce at 300 km/h. Below the rear bonnet hide twelve cylinders, 48 valves and four overhead camshafts - 660hp in total,
The performance, as measured in Fiorano: 0 - 100 kph in 3.65 secs, 0 - 200 kph in 9.5 sec. Top speed: more than 350 kph. The cockpit resembles the one of a fighter jet. In it, a 400 kph speedo, a 10000 rpm rev counter, carbon fiber buckets and a steering wheel with buttons like an F1-Ferrari.

Compared to the high-tech-environment of the Enzo, the Audi looks stale. Door handles, switches and levers all come from the VW/Audi shelves. The oliv-green Recaro leather seats are proof to the wild taste of the 80s. The ABS is engaged via a toggle switch. Only the pull switch for the differential locks and the 3 bar boost gauge give a hint of the force from benath the kevlar hood, ready to explode when commanded.

Instead of the original 2.1l five cylinder with 306hp, Hohenester utilizes the 20 V engine from the 200 Turbo. With a different crankshaft, 2.5l of displacement, a bigger turbo and intercooler, Shortyīs power up to 460hp.
By now, it stopped raining. But the track is still wet. During tests on the wet concrete, the Enzo moves it rear like the tail of an angry crocodile. The Audi isnīt doing much better, despite haveing all-wheel drive, it breaks out heavily to right at full throttle up to third gear. The Dunlop Formula R - semi slicks wonīt reach temperature. So the wait has to continue.

To waste a little time the two competitors are heating up on each other. Hohenester: "I have to keep attention to your Ferrari, otherwise Iīll fall over it." Sonnleitner: "Alfons, your tires are so old, they look like solid rubber..." One notices immediately: The chemistry is right.

But itīs no wonder, both come from the same area and both drive long distance cup races. Ferrari collector Sonnleitner trusts his Hohenester RS4 with 480hp as his daily driver. It already clocked 170,000km - "without problems". This binds together. With that much harmony involved, the weather just has to play along - and really the sun is coming out.

High-noon: twelve oīclock, the trackīs dry. The deciding hour has come. Weīre mounting the measuring gear. Everyone gets ten full acceleration tries, weīre going to measure every sprint to 100 and 200 kph. First itīs Sonnleitner with his factory new Ferrari (490 km on the clock). A few warm up rounds before it gets serious. From far, the Ferrai comes along silent like an arrow, only to perce itīs hurting F1-sound right into oneīs ear at the moment of passage.

And then itīs on. The sequential gearbox hits a new gear every 150 milliseconds, with the mercilessness of a shooting of enemy Mafia clans. After ten tries, the best results came out at 3.94 sec to 100 and 10.64 to 200. Although he couldnīt quite match the factory result, Sonnleitner is pleased: "Considering the weather and the low mileage, itīs fine," he says and turns around to cheer-up his opponent through the open window: "Alfons, youīll never beat that." Hohenester remains unimpressed. With smile he leaves for the warm-up.

A spectactle you couldnīt overhear - the quattro - caveman silences everyone and everything with its thounderous growl. At the start, the Audi bucks like a wild stallion. The four tires produce blue smoke for a small moment, only to grip into the concrete instantaniously. When the results came in, everybody remained breathless: incredible 3.77 sec to 100 - the fastest time we ever measured - also sensational 12.6 sec to 200.

Now weīre going to the Motopark Oschersleben for the photo shoot in convoi. In Sight: the edgy race transporter with its precious cargo. In a sedan behind it, Alfons Hohenester and Martin Sonnleitner giggling like school boys after a succesful prank. "Now whoīs won?" "Hhhmm...one to 100, the other to 200. Looks like a draw to me" "Oh no, then itīs gotta continue." Exactly, To be continued.