R8 to replace 911
Discussion
I've had an R8 for a year now and I can only say that it is a bl**dy marvellous bit of kit. I have also been fortunate enough to own a number of Porkers over the last couple of years and the R8 really is a good car against either a 997 C2S or C4S, it's faster (not sure about Gen2 997s) and nearly as practical (not as much space for storage but the cabin is a good place to be and very spacious...I'm 6ft 3 and I've loads of room
). The R8 stops really well (on standard brakes) although they can be a bit 'grabby' at low speed but you adjust, goes really really well - 8000rpm red line and V8
and depending on your point of view, looks the mutts....! It never fails to turn heads at both the sight and sound of it. It drives more like a rear wheel drive but with the security of 4 wheel drive and it's a good car to go quick cross country in all weathers.
All of the above just my opinion but I rate it as a car and would recommend. After a great year I've decided to trade mine in and I believe it will be up for sale at below 70k within the next few days making it the cheapest R8 out there, with only 5500 miles on the clock; personally I think it's the performance bargain of the year but that's just IMHO aswell.
Enjoy your test drive and remember, you can't take it with you!!!;) The money that is;)
). The R8 stops really well (on standard brakes) although they can be a bit 'grabby' at low speed but you adjust, goes really really well - 8000rpm red line and V8 and depending on your point of view, looks the mutts....! It never fails to turn heads at both the sight and sound of it. It drives more like a rear wheel drive but with the security of 4 wheel drive and it's a good car to go quick cross country in all weathers.All of the above just my opinion but I rate it as a car and would recommend. After a great year I've decided to trade mine in and I believe it will be up for sale at below 70k within the next few days making it the cheapest R8 out there, with only 5500 miles on the clock; personally I think it's the performance bargain of the year but that's just IMHO aswell.
Enjoy your test drive and remember, you can't take it with you!!!;) The money that is;)
Edited by SAGPACK on Wednesday 1st October 21:48
SAGPACK said:
I've had an R8 for a year now and I can only say that it is a bl**dy marvellous bit of kit. I have also been fortunate enough to own a number of Porkers over the last couple of years and the R8 really is a good car against either a 997 C2S or C4S, it's faster (not sure about Gen2 997s) and nearly as practical (not as much space for storage but the cabin is a good place to be and very spacious...I'm 6ft 3 and I've loads of room). The R8 stops really well (on standard brakes) although they can be a bit 'grabby' at low speed but you adjust, goes really really well - 8000rpm red line and V8 and depending on your point of view, looks the mutts....! It never fails to turn heads at both the sight and sound of it. It drives more like a rear wheel drive but with the security of 4 wheel drive and it's a good car to go quick cross country in all weathers.
All of the above just my opinion but I rate it as a car and would recommend. After a great year I've decided to trade mine in and I believe it will be up for sale at below 70k within the next few days making it the cheapest R8 out there, with only 5500 miles on the clock; personally I think it's the performance bargain of the year but that's just IMHO aswell.
Enjoy your test drive and remember, you can't take it with you!!!;) The money that is;)
how would it fair against the 996TT which the original poster has? And if you dont mind telling us, how much did you get for px?). The R8 stops really well (on standard brakes) although they can be a bit 'grabby' at low speed but you adjust, goes really really well - 8000rpm red line and V8 and depending on your point of view, looks the mutts....! It never fails to turn heads at both the sight and sound of it. It drives more like a rear wheel drive but with the security of 4 wheel drive and it's a good car to go quick cross country in all weathers.All of the above just my opinion but I rate it as a car and would recommend. After a great year I've decided to trade mine in and I believe it will be up for sale at below 70k within the next few days making it the cheapest R8 out there, with only 5500 miles on the clock; personally I think it's the performance bargain of the year but that's just IMHO aswell.
Enjoy your test drive and remember, you can't take it with you!!!;) The money that is;)
Edited by SAGPACK on Wednesday 1st October 21:48
R8 against 996TT: Porsche much faster, obviously!, but thereafter it would be pretty even; I would say that the driving position is better in the Audi and as I said there is alot of room in the R8 apart from no back seats 
but the main difference is in the drive. The R8 just doesn't drive like an Audi should (or should I say, used to do). If you like the 'bobbing' front end of a 996 then the R8 will feel too planted but if you like a good 'feel' for the front end as it turns in and a secure feeling over uneven surfaces then the R8 is the one, however, I did notice that over very broken up or worn surfaces that have had alot of HGV use then the R8 can sometimes tramline so it keeps you on your toes!
I have to say that I found it to be a car that I could drive pretty quickly when I wanted but it was enjoyable at more sensible speeds whereas in my 996 (although it was a Techart with c.530bhp) you had to be going mach 3 to really 'feel' it, but maybe that's me.
As to trade in, I don't want to start crying again
so let's just say that with a retail price that I think will be sub-70K when it goes up for sale next wek at the dealers my return was low 6's! There are now a good few cars out there whereas when I got mine last October I didn't see another in my neck of the woods for months and then it was only one other R8 for pretty much the last year....he and I used to wave to each other we were that exclusive
The good thing now is that the R8 is now available at more realistic prices and is a real alternative to a porker and I would say in terms of outright enjoyment is probably better value than a 997TT (because the Porsche is still more money and you have to be going so quick to get any real driving pleasure - when I had mine my mates called it whispering death cos you never heard it coming!)
Anyway, hope some of that helps the OP but if you want any more info let me know and remember; it's only my opinion....you definitely should try it for yourselves but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and just to prove how much I like it, I've already got a deposit in for the R8 Spyder whenever it comes
, but thereafter it would be pretty even; I would say that the driving position is better in the Audi and as I said there is alot of room in the R8 apart from no back seats but the main difference is in the drive. The R8 just doesn't drive like an Audi should (or should I say, used to do). If you like the 'bobbing' front end of a 996 then the R8 will feel too planted but if you like a good 'feel' for the front end as it turns in and a secure feeling over uneven surfaces then the R8 is the one, however, I did notice that over very broken up or worn surfaces that have had alot of HGV use then the R8 can sometimes tramline so it keeps you on your toes!I have to say that I found it to be a car that I could drive pretty quickly when I wanted but it was enjoyable at more sensible speeds whereas in my 996 (although it was a Techart with c.530bhp) you had to be going mach 3 to really 'feel' it, but maybe that's me.
As to trade in, I don't want to start crying again
so let's just say that with a retail price that I think will be sub-70K when it goes up for sale next wek at the dealers my return was low 6's! There are now a good few cars out there whereas when I got mine last October I didn't see another in my neck of the woods for months and then it was only one other R8 for pretty much the last year....he and I used to wave to each other we were that exclusive The good thing now is that the R8 is now available at more realistic prices and is a real alternative to a porker and I would say in terms of outright enjoyment is probably better value than a 997TT (because the Porsche is still more money and you have to be going so quick to get any real driving pleasure - when I had mine my mates called it whispering death cos you never heard it coming!)Anyway, hope some of that helps the OP but if you want any more info let me know and remember; it's only my opinion....you definitely should try it for yourselves but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and just to prove how much I like it, I've already got a deposit in for the R8 Spyder whenever it comes
SAGPACK said:
R8 against 996TT: Porsche much faster, obviously!, but thereafter it would be pretty even; I would say that the driving position is better in the Audi and as I said there is alot of room in the R8 apart from no back seats but the main difference is in the drive. The R8 just doesn't drive like an Audi should (or should I say, used to do). If you like the 'bobbing' front end of a 996 then the R8 will feel too planted but if you like a good 'feel' for the front end as it turns in and a secure feeling over uneven surfaces then the R8 is the one, however, I did notice that over very broken up or worn surfaces that have had alot of HGV use then the R8 can sometimes tramline so it keeps you on your toes!
I have to say that I found it to be a car that I could drive pretty quickly when I wanted but it was enjoyable at more sensible speeds whereas in my 996 (although it was a Techart with c.530bhp) you had to be going mach 3 to really 'feel' it, but maybe that's me.
As to trade in, I don't want to start crying again so let's just say that with a retail price that I think will be sub-70K when it goes up for sale next wek at the dealers my return was low 6's! There are now a good few cars out there whereas when I got mine last October I didn't see another in my neck of the woods for months and then it was only one other R8 for pretty much the last year....he and I used to wave to each other we were that exclusive The good thing now is that the R8 is now available at more realistic prices and is a real alternative to a porker and I would say in terms of outright enjoyment is probably better value than a 997TT (because the Porsche is still more money and you have to be going so quick to get any real driving pleasure - when I had mine my mates called it whispering death cos you never heard it coming!)
Anyway, hope some of that helps the OP but if you want any more info let me know and remember; it's only my opinion....you definitely should try it for yourselves but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and just to prove how much I like it, I've already got a deposit in for the R8 Spyder whenever it comes
Thanks - very informative. How is the 996TT "much faster" than an R8, when in fact both are listed at 414bhp? I can understand the 997TT being faster but that does have 476bhp. And does anyone chip the R* to give it more power?, but thereafter it would be pretty even; I would say that the driving position is better in the Audi and as I said there is alot of room in the R8 apart from no back seats but the main difference is in the drive. The R8 just doesn't drive like an Audi should (or should I say, used to do). If you like the 'bobbing' front end of a 996 then the R8 will feel too planted but if you like a good 'feel' for the front end as it turns in and a secure feeling over uneven surfaces then the R8 is the one, however, I did notice that over very broken up or worn surfaces that have had alot of HGV use then the R8 can sometimes tramline so it keeps you on your toes!I have to say that I found it to be a car that I could drive pretty quickly when I wanted but it was enjoyable at more sensible speeds whereas in my 996 (although it was a Techart with c.530bhp) you had to be going mach 3 to really 'feel' it, but maybe that's me.
As to trade in, I don't want to start crying again
so let's just say that with a retail price that I think will be sub-70K when it goes up for sale next wek at the dealers my return was low 6's! There are now a good few cars out there whereas when I got mine last October I didn't see another in my neck of the woods for months and then it was only one other R8 for pretty much the last year....he and I used to wave to each other we were that exclusive The good thing now is that the R8 is now available at more realistic prices and is a real alternative to a porker and I would say in terms of outright enjoyment is probably better value than a 997TT (because the Porsche is still more money and you have to be going so quick to get any real driving pleasure - when I had mine my mates called it whispering death cos you never heard it coming!)Anyway, hope some of that helps the OP but if you want any more info let me know and remember; it's only my opinion....you definitely should try it for yourselves but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and just to prove how much I like it, I've already got a deposit in for the R8 Spyder whenever it comes
Apologies, should have clarified; my 996 was 'much' faster because it was modified. I would say that the standard 996 would 'feel' quicker (and if you believe magazine tests is quicker; Autocar quote the 996TT as 3.9secs to 60mph and 9.4 to 100mph, whereas the R8 is quoted by EVO as 4.1 to 60mph, but I can't find a 0 to 100mph time for the R8 but I'm pretty sure it's over 10 secs) because of the turbo kicking in whereas the R8's power delivery is much more linear,there is no area of the rev range where it 'takes off' it's very smooth delivery right round the dial.
The 996TT was a truly special supercar IMHO because in 2000 when it came out it really did set a new benchmark for such a useable motor, anything that is sub 10 secs is still a very rapid machine today let alone 8 years ago!
The 996TT was a truly special supercar IMHO because in 2000 when it came out it really did set a new benchmark for such a useable motor, anything that is sub 10 secs is still a very rapid machine today let alone 8 years ago!
Gassing Station | Audi, Seat, Skoda & VW | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff