Audi R8 | PH Auction Block
The very last R8 has been made - time to get excited about one of the first
The death knell tolled at Audi’s Böllinger Höfe plant last week, as the very last R8 was made. A Vegas Yellow Performance quattro Edition, it’ll take pride of place in the Audi museum and brings to an end 17 years of superb mid-engined Audi sports cars. Which still feels very strange to write. No direct replacement is planned and anything similar that does follow will be electric. We can only hope that any future flagship model will redefine our expectations of the brand like the original R8 did - but we’re not holding our breath.
It remains no exaggeration to say that the first car turned our opinion of Audi upside down. Plenty have said it before, plenty will say it again, but before the R8 everyone expected even expensive Audis to be pretty pants to drive. Once it had arrived, once the world learned that inspirational four-wheel-drive Audis could - and did - exist, much less seemed so disappointing. The B7 RS4 was hugely encouraging, though felt like it might be the exception. The R8 demonstrated beyond any doubt that Audis didn’t have to blunder; they could be brilliant. Nothing perhaps save the original quattro quite transformed what people thought an Audi could be like the 2007 original.
For any car maker to have produced a mid-engined car of such quality - with lucid steering, deft damping and wonderful balance - would have been a turn up. For the R8 to have come from Audi felt borderline miraculous. Still does, in fact. Whatever rival it was lined up against, it could compete: the concept car design was so much more interesting to look at than a 911, the manual gearbox was more cooperative than a Vantage’s, the handling far more incisive than a Maserati GranTurismo’s. At its first attempt, Audi made one of the most complete senior sports cars of the 21st century. So perhaps it can pull a low-slung, electrified rabbit from the hat as well.
For some, the original was very much the best for the R8. The 5.2-litre V10 brought another 105hp over the 4.2-litre V8 (525hp against 420), but some extra weight as well. The early paddleshift autos were crap. It was only at the end of the first car’s life that the rubbish R Tronic became the much better S Tronic dual-clutch, but nothing could compare to the open-gated manual for evocative feel.
Despite the plaudits that have been heaped on the R8 since launch, and despite the appeal of an 8,000rpm manual V8 growing by the day, they continue to get cheaper. It was believed that they wouldn’t drop meaningfully below £40k, then £35,000… and now we have this PH Auctions R8. Its guide price is £30,000 - £33,000. That’s less than a new MX-5.
This isn’t some high mileage, scabby example owned by the world and their wife, either. This 2008 car shows just 51,000 miles and four previous owners; the clutch was replaced in 2022, the wheels recently refurbished and the Bose stereo has been upgraded with Bluetooth compatibility. It’s been used and enjoyed, just as intended, and looks fit for many more miles yet.
The MOT history is superb, with seven of the last eight tests showing not a single advisory. Last year’s sheet showed up some misting on the rear Magneride dampers, though it’s hardly unreasonable to be thinking about replacement dampers at a decade and a half old. Employing the best kind of man maths logic, replacement means there’s scope for upgrading, and this could become the start of the manual R8 GT build Audi never made…
It could be anything the next owner wanted, really, which was always the genius of the first R8. It could be used regularly, because it works with the slickness of a mid-2000s Audi; or it could be saved for the weekend, because that engine and gearbox combo is divine; or it could be added to the collection and admired, a landmark sports car in a smart spec. Expect plenty of interest come next week, then - bidding opens on Wednesday.
Ok, it wont be cheap to run, if it breaks it will be expensive but say you keep it three years, I cant see it dropping much in value so you take most of the depreciation out of the equation, the rest is more palatable. Buy a new car at 30k it will drop 10k or more in that three years, suspect you will spend the same on running one of these but you have had an R8.
People go on about the R8 like its super slow, ok there are much, much faster cars but really, 420 bhp, slow ?
I have one, and it is a lot of fun, somewhere between manual and Stronic. You need to work it.
Would I rather have manual? Yes, if it were cheaper, not more expensive.
Otherwise, such a cool car, not very expensive to maintain, at least half of it is from common audi/vw parts. I just had to replace the clutch, it was 1300€ + 500€ in labour.
I envy the winning bidder… Looks a good car, with some detailing and a few bits and bobs to do as a project as and when.
I see there is some lot who refurb the Mag-ride dampers, which will keep it OE.
I can’t understand why people struggle with the Audi name on a car like this… multiple Le Mans and GT winners, rally champions and of course the mighty Auto Unions of the ‘30s. Can’t be many manufacturers with a richer heritage.
Ok, it wont be cheap to run, if it breaks it will be expensive but say you keep it three years, I cant see it dropping much in value so you take most of the depreciation out of the equation, the rest is more palatable. Buy a new car at 30k it will drop 10k or more in that three years, suspect you will spend the same on running one of these but you have had an R8.
People go on about the R8 like its super slow, ok there are much, much faster cars but really, 420 bhp, slow ?
I am one of those skinflints that would prefer a used one without MagneticRide.
I've not checked the dimensions to see if it'll fit in the garage I currently have access to and may've thought of selling my new last year motorcycle to cover the cost, but the thought of selling the bike to deal with the cost of MagnetRide replacement doesn't appeal.
I don't drive daily so having it as a useable daily doesn't work and as less cars have been vandalised outside and nearby it's probable an R8 would get damaged, though there was a black manual V8 parked behind a wall at the end of the road a few years ago.
My not so inner skinflint puts mr firmly in the TT camp.
Last year I was walking along the opposite side of the road from a large detached house, some of which are now buinesses, child care and care homes and a the back end of a silver Mk1 TT came into view. Then as I saw more of the TT as I walked along the pavement I saw there was black Cayman/Boxster next to it with the squarer lozenge shaped headlamps. The Porsche didn't leap out at me or give me the same feelings as seeing the rump of an original Mk1 TT.
I have one, and it is a lot of fun, somewhere between manual and Stronic. You need to work it.
On the running costs? Probably not. They are expensive to run and there are a lot of bespoke R8 components with big price-tags. Those rear dampers are over a grand each, and at that age/mileage you'll probably want to start looking for corrosion too.
Your clutch job was very cheap. They're normally at least triple that amount.
Ok, it wont be cheap to run, if it breaks it will be expensive but say you keep it three years, I cant see it dropping much in value so you take most of the depreciation out of the equation, the rest is more palatable. Buy a new car at 30k it will drop 10k or more in that three years, suspect you will spend the same on running one of these but you have had an R8.
People go on about the R8 like its super slow, ok there are much, much faster cars but really, 420 bhp, slow ?
For comparison against some other slow cars:
F430F1 1.24,2min
Porsche 997 Turbo 1.23,55min
Porsche 997 GT3 1.23,1min
Ferrari 599GTB 1.23,1min
Lamborghini Gallardo(520hp) 1.22,8min
For comparison against some other slow cars:
F430F1 1.24,2min
Porsche 997 Turbo 1.23,55min
Porsche 997 GT3 1.23,1min
Ferrari 599GTB 1.23,1min
Lamborghini Gallardo(520hp) 1.22,8min
FK8 Type R 1:23.0
It had the right amount of power for it's time, and that sweet sounding V8 and clack clack of the manual gate. Just brilliant.
I was lucky enough to own one for just over 3 years, and it felt special every time I drove it.
Sadly, power figures went mental not long after, and by todays standards, it'd get wasted by a lot of modern Hot hatches.
Just wish I'd had the garage space and the funds to keep it long term. Brilliant cars.
I've been in one as a passenger and they feel special whilst also being immensely useable, the clack-clack of the gated shifter is really special.
I'd love one as a daily and at this price they're seriously tempting.
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