RE: Spotted: 2007 Audi R8

[mickymellon1]

Aston
Porsche
R8

The R8 looks cheap and bland and I was unimpressed at the sound of it when used as the pace car for a BSB round, its much further down the list of cars I'd like to own too

[Johnboy Mac]

franki68 said:

I changed from a 997 turbo to an r8 v8 prior to my current car,and I drove pretty much every viable option.I am a big porsche fan,and have had numerous variations of the 911.It all comes down to taste and preference but the 997 turbo is not a great car,it is biblically fast but does nto feel special,out of the 997 range the turbo was the worst car imo.THe r8 was a nicer drive in pretty much every respect.YOu also get treated much nicer in the r8 than you do in a 911.When i was tired of the r8 (after 3 years which is a record for car ownership for me) I test drove ferrari's maseratis gtr's astons and not in one instance did I come away from any test drive desiring the car more than the r8,in fairness I tinkered a bit with it with a miltek exhaust and remap so it was noticably quicker than stock.HOwever when invited to test the gen 2 997s I spent the entire time on the track wishing i was in the r8,handling wise it is on a different planet to the 997,and most other cars to be honest.
I changed to a gallardo purely because I hankered after one ever since i saw one and my needs changed i didnt need a daily drive sportscar,and truthfully although it feels much more special and is truly beautiful whereas the r8 is merely attractive,the r8 drives better.

Great post. Love it when people call it the way they see it from first hand experience.

[mat205125]

What's the concensus on how long I will have to wait for a sound, cared for, and sub-100k mile R8 to get to the low £30k price band? .... Will we be able to pick up R8s for £25k or less once they are 10 years old?

[adz13091982]

It'll be interesting to see what the reliability of the R8 is like when the miles get up - as I recently found out to my own expense buying a RS4, Audi's aren't built like they used to be.

[troc]

Dagnut said:

..same Awd drive system.

Entirely different AWD systems

RS4 uses a permanent Torsen-based mechanical system to deliver (under normal conditions) 50/50 torque split (40/60 F/R in the B7 RS4 and S4 and latter A/S/4/5/6/7/8 models, RS5 is permanent but uses a crown gear diff). R8 delivers around 90% torque to the rear under normal conditions and can send up to 35% to the front vial a viscous coupling (Haldex-type) if necessary. This is very similar to the AWD system used the Gallardo.

[Dagnut]

troc said:

Dagnut said:

..same Awd drive system.

Entirely different AWD systems

RS4 uses a permanent Torsen-based mechanical system to deliver (under normal conditions) 50/50 torque split (40/60 F/R in the B7 RS4 and S4 and latter A/S/4/5/6/7/8 models, RS5 is permanent but uses a crown gear diff). R8 delivers around 90% torque to the rear under normal conditions and can send up to 35% to the front vial a viscous coupling (Haldex-type) if necessary. This is very similar to the AWD system used the Gallardo.

Apologies I stand corrected.

[Johnboy Mac]

mat205125 said:

What's the concensus on how long I will have to wait for a sound, cared for, and sub-100k mile R8 to get to the low £30k price band? .... Will we be able to pick up R8s for £25k or less once they are 10 years old?

A '07 model in 2013/14 for €30k with reasonable mileage at say 6k p.a.. ?

[Mr Whippy]

If that Audi has been leased, it's probably been clocked

Dave

[TomTVR500]

I can feel some hate coming for this, but just for the noise and the look of the thing (certainly not the build quality or German rivaling interior design) i think my money would go here. If it hadn't sold already.
It feels like natural progression from a TVR.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1773167.htm

[TomTVR500]

Or i could have these:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3069395.htm or http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3164547.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3140398.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3151367.htm


£46 or £47,500 for three fantastic cars. A practical family car, a hot hatch run about and a track toy.

[thewheelman]

TomTVR500 said:

I can feel some hate coming for this, but just for the noise and the look of the thing (certainly not the build quality or German rivaling interior design) i think my money would go here. If it hadn't sold already.
It feels like natural progression from a TVR.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1773167.htm

Very nice! & far more interesting than the dull R8 in my opinion.

[Garlick]

franki68 said:

good stuff

It's stuff like this that makes conversation between car people great. We'd have a good chinwag over a pint.

I'm a fan of the 911 in all flavours bar Turbo oddly enough, and I think I prefer the drive of a Gallardo to an R8, but my drive time has been considerably less than you.

Stuff like this goes to show that opinion is just that. If a review says an R8 is rubbish, it doesn't mean it actually is, it just is to that one person.

Cheers for the response Franki

[Fat Audi 80]

sleep envy said:

Garlick said:

An R8, with chrome bits? At £52k! No thanks.

911 please, but not the one shown here. Sorry Andy!

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2597177.htm

ps -

As an Audi fanboy, I love the R8. But sweet mother of god that GT3 looks good!

Yes, yes and yes.

[Beanoir]

R8 has a "chavvy" element about it, the Porker is a great car and i'd be very tempted, but the AM just oozes class and sophistication, i'd "roll" in that all day long*!

• if i could afford it

[thewheelman]

Beanoir said:

R8 has a "chavvy" element about it, the Porker is a great car and i'd be very tempted, but the AM just oozes class and sophistication, i'd "roll" in that all day long*!

• if i could afford it

Personally i think the lights & the side blades give it a cheap look, not sure i'd go as far as chavvy, but i think i get what you mean.

Edit:- This R8 has to be the least desirable example i have ever seen.....

Edited by thewheelman on Wednesday 7th September 14:35

[nickythesaint]

Thing with the mid-engined super cars for me is, they're not a car you'd buy for the track especially, they are not out and out no compromise sports cars, so the point of buying a super car / GT is essentially a daily driver or something for the weekend if you've got enough spare folding.

My problem with buying a £50-100k for for those purposes is, the R8 for example has got no where to put any luggage of any kind. So if you wanted a nice spirited drive in the country or overseas for a weekend, you'd have to strap your luggage to the roof. Less so with the 911 which is a bit more practical but the Aston actually has a boot. And somewhere for the older gentleman to put his golf bats.

And as a daily driver, you couldn't even put a bag of shopping in it. I looked at a Ferarri 360 recently and has the same issue with it. Bloody great supercar full of engine and two seats and not much else.

If I was buying a daily driver or a weekend car, I think I'd be considering the Aston and the Porker over the R8.

[mocca]

I've been a passenger in a 2010 turbo s given serious beans, launch control used repeatedly etc. I have to say it just felt like a well engineered white good with unburstable quality. No experience of the others but the audi looks pretty boring aesthetically and the aston is pretty slow on paper.

60k f430 would surely be a better bet?

Edited by mocca on Wednesday 7th September 14:24

[lewea]

Before I purchased my Gen2 GT3 I decided to test drive the Audi R8 and V8 Vantage.

My summary for the R8:
+ Looked fabulous in white with Carbon Stripe
+ Interior is larger than it looks
+ Noise was ok
+ Didn't like the manual gear box, a bit clicky clack

V8 Vantage:
+ Car I test drove was the new larger engined model in yellow
+ It got plenty of admiring looks
+ Was a very elegant cruiser
+ Didn't like the plastic interior at all
+ Arm keep on hitting the centre arm rest when changing gear

Got back in my then Gen2 C2S and felt the Porsche was just right. Enjoyed both test drives but not enough to want to change from the 911.

The GT3 experience was absolutely awesome. My years ownership was thoroughly enjoyable and she went to a good home (albeit for a short time) with Phooey.

[Windymiller]

Anyone got any finance figures for the never-never dreamers like me?

[kazino]

That R8 engine really doesn't do it for me, Aston sounds great but no poke, 911 turbo now that's an engine.