R8 - First Day / First Thoughts
Discussion
Picked up my new R8 yesterday after a very long wait. Have to admit I felt slightly deflated on seeing the car yesterday at the dealers. I have seen it a number of times in the flesh over the last few months and I personally think the more I see it the more normal it looks.
Parked up on the drive last night it looks stunning from some angles and a bit odd from others - almost like the front and back do not go together.
Interior is fairly bland even with a lot of extras although build quality as you would expect is excellent. Seats I feel are poor - lifted from the TT as is the air con unit / door handles / wing mirrors and lots of other bits. I have a manual car and the top of the gear lever is a little piece of plastic which is already coming loose - not good at all.
Drive / ride is excellent - sounds great with the windows down but a little dull with them up.
Overall first day thought is I am actually not sure. Great car undeniably but for £ 90k plus you would not expect anything less. Had a few friends over last night and all came to the same conclusion - great car but _ _ _ _
!!!! not sure what the but is yet just feel there is something not right.
All of these things are of course down to personal preference - would be interesting to know any other thoughts out there.
Parked up on the drive last night it looks stunning from some angles and a bit odd from others - almost like the front and back do not go together.
Interior is fairly bland even with a lot of extras although build quality as you would expect is excellent. Seats I feel are poor - lifted from the TT as is the air con unit / door handles / wing mirrors and lots of other bits. I have a manual car and the top of the gear lever is a little piece of plastic which is already coming loose - not good at all.
Drive / ride is excellent - sounds great with the windows down but a little dull with them up.
Overall first day thought is I am actually not sure. Great car undeniably but for £ 90k plus you would not expect anything less. Had a few friends over last night and all came to the same conclusion - great car but _ _ _ _
!!!! not sure what the but is yet just feel there is something not right.
All of these things are of course down to personal preference - would be interesting to know any other thoughts out there.
I have one on order, but chose to wait for the RS4 Buckets rather than the TT seats.
I agree with you in some respects, Audi have allowed them to be too visible, it seems every other dealer has a couple of demo cars knocking around and they've been treated quite badly so look pretty scrappy. Looks wise, it works for me although very little these days makes me feel wow (nothing from Ferrari or Lambo either). The driving experience of the R8 is great, and I personally prefer a car that grows and becomes more endearing as you own it rather than something with great initial impact but then fizzles out (a bit like the age old question of whether or not you would 'really' want to marry a super-model).
I am trying not to look at R8s otherwise I'm sure I will be bored of it before I get the chance to own one myself. Audi aren't doing themselves any favours (from a customer standpoint), but its clear that Audi are more interested in the marketing halo created by the R8 rather than necessarily what initial customers receive as an experience.
I agree with you in some respects, Audi have allowed them to be too visible, it seems every other dealer has a couple of demo cars knocking around and they've been treated quite badly so look pretty scrappy. Looks wise, it works for me although very little these days makes me feel wow (nothing from Ferrari or Lambo either). The driving experience of the R8 is great, and I personally prefer a car that grows and becomes more endearing as you own it rather than something with great initial impact but then fizzles out (a bit like the age old question of whether or not you would 'really' want to marry a super-model).
I am trying not to look at R8s otherwise I'm sure I will be bored of it before I get the chance to own one myself. Audi aren't doing themselves any favours (from a customer standpoint), but its clear that Audi are more interested in the marketing halo created by the R8 rather than necessarily what initial customers receive as an experience.
Have to say it's a breath of fresh air to see total brutal honesty from an owner as apposed to a load of cognitive dissonance going on.
Thanks for the post
My neighbour just got one and I have to say I think it looks and sounds lovely.
To be honest, and IMHO, the Aston AMV8 Vantage is the only car to look great from every angle!!
Thanks for the post
My neighbour just got one and I have to say I think it looks and sounds lovely. To be honest, and IMHO, the Aston AMV8 Vantage is the only car to look great from every angle!!
I have been in a Cayman S for 20-odd months now, and just recently picked up an RS4. I have to say that nothing has piqued my interest since owning the Cayman S as much as the R8. None of the 997 variants do it for me on multiple levels. And there is no other car in this kind of category that I feel I could (or financially "want" to) use as a real daily driver.
My initial thoughts and speculations on the R8 were that it couldn't possibly be as good/communicatative/endearing to drive as the Cayman, though admittedly quite a bit quicker. Then the reviews started to come out very positively and I thought my initial reservations may have been a little harsh.
But having now had an RS4 for a month, and swapping daily between the 2 cars, it has made me wonder even more. If the R8 has the same kind of "filtering" to the controls as the RS4 displays, I don't know if it's for me. Yes, it may be an engineering masterpiece, just as the RS4 is. Yes it may be pretty damned quick. But does it really "feel" like a car you can connect with?
I suppose I should go and drive one.............
By the way, I like the way it looks.
Jack
My initial thoughts and speculations on the R8 were that it couldn't possibly be as good/communicatative/endearing to drive as the Cayman, though admittedly quite a bit quicker. Then the reviews started to come out very positively and I thought my initial reservations may have been a little harsh.
But having now had an RS4 for a month, and swapping daily between the 2 cars, it has made me wonder even more. If the R8 has the same kind of "filtering" to the controls as the RS4 displays, I don't know if it's for me. Yes, it may be an engineering masterpiece, just as the RS4 is. Yes it may be pretty damned quick. But does it really "feel" like a car you can connect with?
I suppose I should go and drive one.............
By the way, I like the way it looks.
Jack
jackwood said:
And there is no other car in this kind of category that I feel I could (or financially "want" to) use as a real daily driver.
Would you use it every day? I used to drive my Porsche's every day but eventually found it too much of a hassle - unless of course you do the same 'short' journey each day and know exactly where you are likely to park it. Well, yes, it is pretty much the same (very nice) commute during the week. It goes in the same parking space every day. The only down-side being it is on an industrial estate, adjacent to a stone maisons, where all their carving is done in "outside" sheds!!
Regardless, I am very much a "car is for driving" kind of person (I hate to admit the Cayman hasn't been waxed since the day I picked it up) and that includes driving in the real world. Between me and my wife we have 2 cars, and I can't ever see that changing. Therefore, any car we have on the drive has to satisfy all and every day-to-day need, as well as be an extrordinary and entertaining steer. A hard job to pull off.
Jack
Regardless, I am very much a "car is for driving" kind of person (I hate to admit the Cayman hasn't been waxed since the day I picked it up) and that includes driving in the real world. Between me and my wife we have 2 cars, and I can't ever see that changing. Therefore, any car we have on the drive has to satisfy all and every day-to-day need, as well as be an extrordinary and entertaining steer. A hard job to pull off.
Jack
Interesting thoughts on the ownership. I felt like getting one and then realised that almost everything was an extra and therefore the price lifted into the levels where I couldn't do it.
It is lovely and evrything but the fact that so many things that were standard in my RS4 are extra in the R8 just seemed silly to me, its not even unique kit.
It is lovely and evrything but the fact that so many things that were standard in my RS4 are extra in the R8 just seemed silly to me, its not even unique kit.
My point exactly -- for £90k why not do a few bespoke parts and make a little extra profit
I had a good long drive in the car last night down to the Cotswolds and back -clear roads and a very good run. Superb at speed although a very strange flat spot in 3rd at between 3 and 4 thousand rpm which is a little disconcerting - almost like it is fitted with a turbo charger. It is a truly great car however I still stand by my original point that there is something missing.
I feel Audi may have missed a trick - they are a rarity now and commanding a premium but by this time next year there will be more than 1000 and I cannot help thinking if you have £90k to spend where will it go ?
I had a good long drive in the car last night down to the Cotswolds and back -clear roads and a very good run. Superb at speed although a very strange flat spot in 3rd at between 3 and 4 thousand rpm which is a little disconcerting - almost like it is fitted with a turbo charger. It is a truly great car however I still stand by my original point that there is something missing.
I feel Audi may have missed a trick - they are a rarity now and commanding a premium but by this time next year there will be more than 1000 and I cannot help thinking if you have £90k to spend where will it go ?
DoctorD said:
jackwood said:
And there is no other car in this kind of category that I feel I could (or financially "want" to) use as a real daily driver.
Would you use it every day? I used to drive my Porsche's every day but eventually found it too much of a hassle - unless of course you do the same 'short' journey each day and know exactly where you are likely to park it. 
..I use my AMV8 every day - 13K miles in 4 months - it goes to the supermarket, airport, the office, everywhere really - unless you live/work somewhere really dodgy I dont see what the problem is?As for the R8 - an awesome car, but not at £90k (inc options) - I will take one in a couple of years when the fuss has died down
I always spec my cars generously and include all the necessary options, and yet my R8 comes out at £83k (not £90k). That's a few grand less than I paid for my SUV...
As for whether they will depreciate or not, I think not, at least not to the extent that many naysayers are predicting. It is one of the few cars commanding a premium at the moment and this is likely to continue for a while to come, the waiting lists are long and customer cars are only slowly being delivered.
Also, I work with quite a few journalists and I haven't found any with a bad thing to say about the R8, and it is often journalists who are the catalysts for plummeting values.
So perhaps the greatest threat to R8 values will be the inevitable fashion of the 'next big thing', whatever that will be. Anyone care to guess...?
As for whether they will depreciate or not, I think not, at least not to the extent that many naysayers are predicting. It is one of the few cars commanding a premium at the moment and this is likely to continue for a while to come, the waiting lists are long and customer cars are only slowly being delivered.
Also, I work with quite a few journalists and I haven't found any with a bad thing to say about the R8, and it is often journalists who are the catalysts for plummeting values.
So perhaps the greatest threat to R8 values will be the inevitable fashion of the 'next big thing', whatever that will be. Anyone care to guess...?
I don't think "fashion" comes into play with a truly great drivers car. Some cars are just "fashion" items, and correct, they will suffer when it is suddenly the "wrong" champagne-sky blue-mauve color combination in 2 years time.
But true great cars that enthusiasts want to buy (but can never afford new) keep the used prices up. A real, knowledgable and informed second market for used vehicles.
Therefore I think it has to be a bit more than a fashion item that will cause prices to tumble. It will surely only be a superior drivers car and complete package that would threaten its residuals.
That is unless it was severely over-priced to start with
Jack
But true great cars that enthusiasts want to buy (but can never afford new) keep the used prices up. A real, knowledgable and informed second market for used vehicles.
Therefore I think it has to be a bit more than a fashion item that will cause prices to tumble. It will surely only be a superior drivers car and complete package that would threaten its residuals.
That is unless it was severely over-priced to start with
Jack
DoctorD said:
I always spec my cars generously and include all the necessary options, and yet my R8 comes out at £83k (not £90k). That's a few grand less than I paid for my SUV...
As for whether they will depreciate or not, I think not, at least not to the extent that many naysayers are predicting. It is one of the few cars commanding a premium at the moment and this is likely to continue for a while to come, the waiting lists are long and customer cars are only slowly being delivered.
Also, I work with quite a few journalists and I haven't found any with a bad thing to say about the R8, and it is often journalists who are the catalysts for plummeting values.
So perhaps the greatest threat to R8 values will be the inevitable fashion of the 'next big thing', whatever that will be. Anyone care to guess...?
Ferrari Dino.As for whether they will depreciate or not, I think not, at least not to the extent that many naysayers are predicting. It is one of the few cars commanding a premium at the moment and this is likely to continue for a while to come, the waiting lists are long and customer cars are only slowly being delivered.
Also, I work with quite a few journalists and I haven't found any with a bad thing to say about the R8, and it is often journalists who are the catalysts for plummeting values.
So perhaps the greatest threat to R8 values will be the inevitable fashion of the 'next big thing', whatever that will be. Anyone care to guess...?
Bought and sold my white R8 and got my premium. Not sorry I sold it - great car and all, but in the end, there was something about it that didn't push my buttons; basically, I didn't love the car, I liked it.
Im not sure the Ferrari Dino is going to cater to the same markets, I think the big appeal of the R8 is that you can own a supercar (or whatever you want to call it) without being overly flash or needing to pay out huge running costs. The R8 is a fantastic car, and my father really can't fault with his at all - he is now keeping it after originally planning to sell it on.
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