Is an R8 a Supercar?

[KFC]

Mario149 said:

No-one I know has ever entertained the notion that my 550 is not a supercar,

At sub £50k and over 4 seconds to 60.... i don't see a 550 being classed as a super car for much longer, even if you say its one now.

[Pixelpeep7r]

If it not fitting into an ambiguous definition is enough to sway your decision you are clearly not buying this car with your heart but your ego.

[mwstewart]

KFC said:

At sub £50k and over 4 seconds to 60.... i don't see a 550 being classed as a super car for much longer, even if you say its one now.

Don't agree at all. Once a supercar, always a supercar.

[Mario149]

mwstewart said:

KFC said:

At sub £50k and over 4 seconds to 60.... i don't see a 550 being classed as a super car for much longer, even if you say its one now.

Don't agree at all. Once a supercar, always a supercar.

This^. It only matters how it fared against its contempories of the time

[Mario149]

KFC said:

Mario149 said:

No-one I know has ever entertained the notion that my 550 is not a supercar,

At sub £50k and over 4 seconds to 60.... i don't see a 550 being classed as a super car for much longer, even if you say its one now.

Also, you'll be very lucky to find a sub £50k unpranged RHD one in the UK now....prices have gone mental in the last 12 months. Just reinsured mine for £75k up from £53k 2 years ago

[crostonian]

It's like saying who's the best ever footballer or best racing driver, you can only compare them against their contemporaries.

As for the R8 for me it's a Supercar but I consider the category to be quite broad, for all those calling it a Sports Car does that mean it's in the same class as an MX5?

For the record there was an R8 parked up in Broadway (Cotswolds, not New York) on Saturday and swarms of people were looking at it and having their pics taken next to it. If you can't differentiate one from a TT then you need your eyes testing.

[KFC]

Mario149 said:

Also, you'll be very lucky to find a sub £50k unpranged RHD one in the UK now....prices have gone mental in the last 12 months. Just reinsured mine for £75k up from £53k 2 years ago

ah right, I was looking on auto trader and didn't realise the cheapest one was actually LHD - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

mwstewart said:

Don't agree at all. Once a supercar, always a supercar.

Would you say a Ferrari 355 is a super car? I don't think there would have been any dispute when it was new.... but you can't be a super car when you're both cheaper and slower than a modern 4 door family car.

[selym]

Pixelpeep7r said:

If it not fitting into an ambiguous definition is enough to sway your decision you are clearly not buying this car with your heart but your ego.

I did think this kind of question about a prospective purchase rather odd. Does it really matter; would the OP drop into every conversation, 'I drive a supercar by the way'?

If you like it, buy it for gawds sake. I'll still stare longingly at it, if that makes you feel any better.

[KFC]

crostonian said:

For the record there was an R8 parked up in Broadway (Cotswolds, not New York) on Saturday and swarms of people were looking at it and having their pics taken next to it. If you can't differentiate one from a TT then you need your eyes testing.

My mum , sister or gran would just walk straight past an r8 without even commenting on it, or probably even noticing it. I think thats part of the whole 'super car' thing.... people who couldn't care less about cars still realise that they're something special.

[MKnight702]

KFC said:

My mum , sister or gran would just walk straight past an r8 without even commenting on it, or probably even noticing it. I think thats part of the whole 'super car' thing.... people who couldn't care less about cars still realise that they're something special.

This is it in a nutshell. The R8 lacks theatre, the undefinable quality that screams, look at me, I'm something special. Those that know are aware of what it is and can do, those that aren't probably wouldn't give it another glance.

Oh, and I was referring to a recent EVO magazine, not the website. Don't know why they are different.

[Mario149]

KFC said:

mwstewart said:

Don't agree at all. Once a supercar, always a supercar.

Would you say a Ferrari 355 is a super car? I don't think there would have been any dispute when it was new.... but you can't be a super car when you're both cheaper and slower than a modern 4 door family car.

It was and is. Like he said, once a supercar, always a supercar. In 20 years time a 2034MY M3 will probably get round the nordschleife quicker than at 599, 599 will still be a supercar though.

Edited by Mario149 on Thursday 11th September 16:48

[mrdemon]

I don't think your mum , sister or gran would notice a grey Ferrari either if they walked past one.

A white R8 always gets noticed. A red Ferrari always gets noticed

you can buy bland colours and hide the car

[Ferruccio]

One of the reasons that an R8 isn't a supercar in my book, is that they've sold 20,000/25,0000 of them.
One of the indefinable characteristics of a supercar has to be that there aren't many of them; that they are almost unattainable.

[StottyEvo]

KFC said:

crostonian said:

For the record there was an R8 parked up in Broadway (Cotswolds, not New York) on Saturday and swarms of people were looking at it and having their pics taken next to it. If you can't differentiate one from a TT then you need your eyes testing.

My mum , sister or gran would just walk straight past an r8 without even commenting on it, or probably even noticing it. I think thats part of the whole 'super car' thing.... people who couldn't care less about cars still realise that they're something special.

They probably walk past other Supercars and don't notice them either I'd suspect.

[StottyEvo]

KFC said:

Would you say a Ferrari 355 is a super car? I don't think there would have been any dispute when it was new.... but you can't be a super car when you're both cheaper and slower than a modern 4 door family car.

Yes it is and yes you can. I'm starting to think that you don't understand the concept of a Supercar bearing in mind an early Countach hits 60 in well over 6 seconds.

[mwstewart]

KFC said:

Would you say a Ferrari 355 is a super car? I don't think there would have been any dispute when it was new.... but you can't be a super car when you're both cheaper and slower than a modern 4 door family car.

Yes, absolutely, and the 250 GTO and all the others from years gone by. In the same vein I still consider the Spitfire a fighter plane in a time we have the Typhoon in active service.

[supercampeao]

Subjective so who cares! Buy what you like to drive!!!

[gregf40]

KFC said:

My mum , sister or gran would just walk straight past an r8 without even commenting on it, or probably even noticing it. I think thats part of the whole 'super car' thing.... people who couldn't care less about cars still realise that they're something special.

I bet they wouldn't comment on a 918 Porsche or a Veyron either...







To people that don't know about cars - they would have no idea those were 10x the price of an R8...I bet they would think they were all the same price.

Edited by gregf40 on Thursday 11th September 17:39

[ZeusF]

gregf40 said:

KFC said:

My mum , sister or gran would just walk straight past an r8 without even commenting on it, or probably even noticing it. I think thats part of the whole 'super car' thing.... people who couldn't care less about cars still realise that they're something special.

I bet they wouldn't comment on a 918 Porsche or a Veyron either...







To people that don't know about cars - they would have no idea those were 10x the price of an R8...I bet they would think they were all the same price.

Edited by gregf40 on Thursday 11th September 17:39

That is an excellent point sir, I would agree entirely.

[KFC]

A 918 Porsche very well might slip under the radar with non car fans, as they're used to seeing so many Boxsters and 911's all over the place. A Veyron.... no chance.