Anyone with a V8 R8?
Discussion
I'm thinking of getting one later this year with the intention of keeping it for a year or so just a big itch that I'd love to scratch.
I'd bee looking at something 2008ish sub 50k on the clock. Are they generally pretty reliable or can they be money pits? I work in the trade but dont know anything about the R8!
Are there any R8 specifica forums out there I cant seem to find any?
I'd bee looking at something 2008ish sub 50k on the clock. Are they generally pretty reliable or can they be money pits? I work in the trade but dont know anything about the R8!
Are there any R8 specifica forums out there I cant seem to find any?
Dr G said:
Pinch of salt needed here; maybe even a spoonful.
I think you'll be anything but disappointed. In fact I'm more or less sure of it.
What's remarkable about the R8 is how little its dated considering that it's from 2007. The styling both inside and out neatly toes the line between looking fresh/different and maintaining the subtle smartness that comes with most Audis. Kept in clean condition they have hardly aged at all.
The navigation is an older system but with new maps still works plenty well enough. Not having 7 digit postcode entry is at worst a very slight hindrance. It is not the nightmare the internet will tell you.
Interior wear is a slight issue; mainly the driver's seat bolster and gear knob. A leather man will have the seats looking new for a small outlay and the gearknob doesn't like wedding rings. Either live with it or replace it, they're not that expensive.
The exhaust heat shields get rattly quickly. A decent exhaust fabricator will fix them for not much. Either this or throw a Milltek on, a lot of cars end up with these anyway.
Dampers on mag ride car have suffered some leaks, request a new MOT on purchase as the dampers are ~£600 each.
Front discs good for 40k ish but they are expensive, ~£1400 with pads.
All will end up with some cosmetic paint, they're very low and get marked/chipped easily. Make sure paint isn't hiding a nasty.
High level brake light creaks (it's behind your head). Easily fixed with a tiny bit of foam padding.
Coking; yes, this is an issue. All direct injection cars suffer from this, particularly smoky things like that R8. A car that has been used and driven hard is a better bet than a detail geeks 5,000 miler. They like being exercised.
Clutches are strong but won't put up with abuse or idiot drivers. There's no reason a 40k mile car cannot have a perfect, original clutch if its been driven with a smidgen of respect.
Oil. Yup, buy some spare and keep it handy. Expect to use about a litre in 1,000 miles. More if exercised.
They'll do high 20s on a smooth run, expect to average 20-22. Full fat 98 RON or better, please.
Get navigation, heated seats, bluetooth and parking sensors. I prefer the alcantara over full leather. Bang & Olufsen is excellent. Mag ride is excellent but cheaper without as there's a perception that everyone needs it (rightly or wrongly).
Ask away if there's anything further you'd like to know. They're wonderful, wonderful cars and residuals continue to be rock solid.
Overall they're very reliable.
Lot of info there thanks for that. I'm personally not at all bothered what the satnav screen is like I would never use it. Its an itch I want to scratch for 12 months or so. So really just after a nice one in the right spec for resale later. Has to be a manual. That and ideal colour choice of Ibis White otherwise I'd be pretty flexible. I think you'll be anything but disappointed. In fact I'm more or less sure of it.
What's remarkable about the R8 is how little its dated considering that it's from 2007. The styling both inside and out neatly toes the line between looking fresh/different and maintaining the subtle smartness that comes with most Audis. Kept in clean condition they have hardly aged at all.
The navigation is an older system but with new maps still works plenty well enough. Not having 7 digit postcode entry is at worst a very slight hindrance. It is not the nightmare the internet will tell you.
Interior wear is a slight issue; mainly the driver's seat bolster and gear knob. A leather man will have the seats looking new for a small outlay and the gearknob doesn't like wedding rings. Either live with it or replace it, they're not that expensive.
The exhaust heat shields get rattly quickly. A decent exhaust fabricator will fix them for not much. Either this or throw a Milltek on, a lot of cars end up with these anyway.
Dampers on mag ride car have suffered some leaks, request a new MOT on purchase as the dampers are ~£600 each.
Front discs good for 40k ish but they are expensive, ~£1400 with pads.
All will end up with some cosmetic paint, they're very low and get marked/chipped easily. Make sure paint isn't hiding a nasty.
High level brake light creaks (it's behind your head). Easily fixed with a tiny bit of foam padding.
Coking; yes, this is an issue. All direct injection cars suffer from this, particularly smoky things like that R8. A car that has been used and driven hard is a better bet than a detail geeks 5,000 miler. They like being exercised.
Clutches are strong but won't put up with abuse or idiot drivers. There's no reason a 40k mile car cannot have a perfect, original clutch if its been driven with a smidgen of respect.
Oil. Yup, buy some spare and keep it handy. Expect to use about a litre in 1,000 miles. More if exercised.
They'll do high 20s on a smooth run, expect to average 20-22. Full fat 98 RON or better, please.
Get navigation, heated seats, bluetooth and parking sensors. I prefer the alcantara over full leather. Bang & Olufsen is excellent. Mag ride is excellent but cheaper without as there's a perception that everyone needs it (rightly or wrongly).
Ask away if there's anything further you'd like to know. They're wonderful, wonderful cars and residuals continue to be rock solid.
Overall they're very reliable.
I'd heard they were pretty robust things but its always good to know the common things to look for.
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