R8 GT Coupe
Author
Discussion

d16rr

Original Poster:

162 posts

164 months

Saturday 7th February 2015
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Does anyone any experience of these or owns one now. Very difficult to find anything about these cars, they are fairly rare and was wondering if it would be crazy getting into one. Any thoughts greatly appreciated ?

NEFOC

415 posts

213 months

Saturday 7th February 2015
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Must resist,

Must resist,

None of those thoughts would help or be appropriate.
.
.
.


Phew it's passed.

What's an R8 ?

Oh couldn't resist.... Supercar General???

d16rr

Original Poster:

162 posts

164 months

Saturday 7th February 2015
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Nice one clever twonk you're on form today !

GRBF430F1

4,843 posts

192 months

Saturday 7th February 2015
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Have already done a fair bit of depreciating and being a GT they are rarer than the regular R8. Not sure what premium I would pay for that privilege but probably be worth an extra £10k longer term if an Audi R8 floats your boat

Porsche40

15 posts

155 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
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d16rr said:
Does anyone any experience of these or owns one now. Very difficult to find anything about these cars, they are fairly rare and was wondering if it would be crazy getting into one. Any thoughts greatly appreciated ?
I have the gt and v10plus, difference in the drive and feel is greater than you would imagine. Gt is 50 kilos lighter but feels like 150, better steering feedback and rawer feel overall as it's stiffer than 10plus. Downside is the robotised manual box so a lift when changing gear helps smooth progress. If the car is to be used for the weekend blast and track work the GT is the car, if it's a daily user buy a Plus. Either way you will not be disappointed as the R8 is very underrated IMO .

d16rr

Original Poster:

162 posts

164 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
quotequote all
Porsche40 said:
d16rr said:
Does anyone any experience of these or owns one now. Very difficult to find anything about these cars, they are fairly rare and was wondering if it would be crazy getting into one. Any thoughts greatly appreciated ?
I have the gt and v10plus, difference in the drive and feel is greater than you would imagine. Gt is 50 kilos lighter but feels like 150, better steering feedback and rawer feel overall as it's stiffer than 10plus. Downside is the robotised manual box so a lift when changing gear helps smooth progress. If the car is to be used for the weekend blast and track work the GT is the car, if it's a daily user buy a Plus. Either way you will not be disappointed as the R8 is very underrated IMO .
Thank you for the feedback, amazing you have the gt and plus. I like the r tronic and it's thumping prefer that to the clinical s tronic but I understand it's not for everyone. If you had to choose one of your r8's and one only forgetting daily driver etc etc which one would you give the nod too ?

Porsche40

15 posts

155 months

Sunday 8th February 2015
quotequote all
d16rr said:
Porsche40 said:
d16rr said:
Does anyone any experience of these or owns one now. Very difficult to find anything about these cars, they are fairly rare and was wondering if it would be crazy getting into one. Any thoughts greatly appreciated ?
I have the gt and v10plus, difference in the drive and feel is greater than you would imagine. Gt is 50 kilos lighter but feels like 150, better steering feedback and rawer feel overall as it's stiffer than 10plus. Downside is the robotised manual box so a lift when changing gear helps smooth progress. If the car is to be used for the weekend blast and track work the GT is the car, if it's a daily user buy a Plus. Either way you will not be disappointed as the R8 is very underrated IMO .
Thank you for the feedback, amazing you have the gt and plus. I like the r tronic and it's thumping prefer that to the clinical s tronic but I understand it's not for everyone. If you had to choose one of your r8's and one only forgetting daily driver etc etc which one would you give the nod too ?
The GT . Have been using it and the plus during the recent poor weather so the comparison is fresh , GT feels really light , more agile . Went to Oulton Park last week on a track day , superb! came away thinking these cars at circa £90k are a bargain. Believe me I have had all types of exotic road cars plus race cars and I rate this as one of the best cars I have ever owned ,so for me it's a keeper.
If you need more info or want a chat about it pm me .

d16rr

Original Poster:

162 posts

164 months

Monday 9th February 2015
quotequote all
Porsche40 said:
d16rr said:
Porsche40 said:
d16rr said:
Does anyone any experience of these or owns one now. Very difficult to find anything about these cars, they are fairly rare and was wondering if it would be crazy getting into one. Any thoughts greatly appreciated ?
I have the gt and v10plus, difference in the drive and feel is greater than you would imagine. Gt is 50 kilos lighter but feels like 150, better steering feedback and rawer feel overall as it's stiffer than 10plus. Downside is the robotised manual box so a lift when changing gear helps smooth progress. If the car is to be used for the weekend blast and track work the GT is the car, if it's a daily user buy a Plus. Either way you will not be disappointed as the R8 is very underrated IMO .
Thank you for the feedback, amazing you have the gt and plus. I like the r tronic and it's thumping prefer that to the clinical s tronic but I understand it's not for everyone. If you had to choose one of your r8's and one only forgetting daily driver etc etc which one would you give the nod too ?
The GT . Have been using it and the plus during the recent poor weather so the comparison is fresh , GT feels really light , more agile . Went to Oulton Park last week on a track day , superb! came away thinking these cars at circa £90k are a bargain. Believe me I have had all types of exotic road cars plus race cars and I rate this as one of the best cars I have ever owned ,so for me it's a keeper.
If you need more info or want a chat about it pm me .
Thank you, pm sent

L33

3,469 posts

246 months

Thursday 12th February 2015
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R8 GT? Awesome car!

Head over to "R8 talk" forum as there is a fair bit of info over there.

With only 33 that came into the UK, they are very rare and I'd guess that they have lost all their depreciation and may well appreciate?

I had the very same dilemma recently.

I initially wanted the Mclaren 12C but the depreciation put me off.
In the end, it was between an R8 GT and a Mercedes SLS.

I opted for the SLS in the end - but it was a very close call.

thumbup

RevHappy

1,840 posts

184 months

Thursday 12th February 2015
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Porsche40 said:
The GT . Have been using it and the plus during the recent poor weather so the comparison is fresh , GT feels really light , more agile . Went to Oulton Park last week on a track day , superb! came away thinking these cars at circa £90k are a bargain. Believe me I have had all types of exotic road cars plus race cars and I rate this as one of the best cars I have ever owned ,so for me it's a keeper.
If you need more info or want a chat about it pm me .
Are you tempted by the LMX?

Porsche40

15 posts

155 months

Thursday 12th February 2015
quotequote all
RevHappy said:
Porsche40 said:
The GT . Have been using it and the plus during the recent poor weather so the comparison is fresh , GT feels really light , more agile . Went to Oulton Park last week on a track day , superb! came away thinking these cars at circa £90k are a bargain. Believe me I have had all types of exotic road cars plus race cars and I rate this as one of the best cars I have ever owned ,so for me it's a keeper.
If you need more info or want a chat about it pm me .
Are you tempted by the LMX?
No , LMX is a plus with extra HP. GT feels more agile, proberbly due to fixed rate dampers and springs , steering is sharper, you feel conection with the road , that same feeling is not present in the plus, steering is less feel some and lighter .Exhaust system is louder in the GT so when adding all these ingredients together gives a different driving experience compared to the plus. IMO . I have fitted an Akrapovic switchable exhaust to the plus which has helped bring a similar aural experience .
Nothing wrong with the plus, great car , but softer than the GT.

Dblue

3,278 posts

222 months

Sunday 15th February 2015
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Spent ages looking at both GTs and V10 plus and found the newer car a better bet. Performance is albeit identical with the S tronic making any power/weight advantage moot. I personally found the GTs seats tortuous. Very firm and very narrow around the hips. R Tronic is old school tech now and feels it.

Depreciation will be good though for rarity value but R8s are only OKish rather than exceptional in that respect. When the newer Plus's are a little older they will slow down a bit depreciation wise too.

Personally, The Plus every time. But in the end I couldn't get over the fact that the R8s sister car shared that amazing motor and was just a bit more of an event in every way. So I bought a Gallardo instead.

Haven't been disappointed , they really are Audis with fine italian suits.

Edited by Dblue on Monday 16th February 12:32

d16rr

Original Poster:

162 posts

164 months

Monday 16th February 2015
quotequote all
Dblue said:
Spent ages looking at both GTs and V10 plus and found the newer car a better bet. Performance is albeit identical with the S tronic making any power/weight advantage moot. I personally found the GTs seats tortuous. Very firm and very narrow around the hips. R Tronic is old school tech now and feels it.

Depreciation will be good though for rarity value but R8s are only OKish rather than exceptional in that respect. When the newer Plus's are a little older they will slow down a bit depreciation wise too.

Personally, The Plus every time. But in the end I couldn't get over the fact that the R8s sister car shared that amazing motor and was just a bit more of an event in every way. So I bought a Gallardo instead.

Haven't been disappointed , they really are Audis with fine italian suits.

Edited by Dblue on Monday 16th February 12:32
Thanks for the feedback, you say you spent ages looking at GT's, did you do this a while ago when there was a few on the market ? Maybe when the prices were higher too ?

Understand what you are saying, the buckets are very firm compared to say a gt3 and also narrower, I love them they fit great and could spend hours in them.

Considered a Gallardo but not for me right now, the GT is an event I believe and I think it's totally different to any of the other R8 variants, and I think you will find that as mentioned it will give a great account of itself on track.

This car is not for the faint hearted, more the GT3 club sport brigade, you can keep the S Tronic, the R Tronic is much more involving and works well with the fabulous v10, the down changes work great too.

Yes in full auto mode it's got that sluggish change up but it's no issue what so ever for me, i drive it with sport on and in the manual gear change mode, and when you're slowing for junctions at normal speed it changes down for you. Pull away and go up through the box with the paddles and listen to the V10 sing, awesome machine love it !




d16rr

Original Poster:

162 posts

164 months

Monday 16th February 2015
quotequote all

andrew

10,275 posts

214 months

Monday 16th February 2015
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^ r8s should never been photographed at an angle ! biggrin

Dblue

3,278 posts

222 months

Monday 16th February 2015
quotequote all
d16rr said:
Dblue said:
Spent ages looking at both GTs and V10 plus and found the newer car a better bet. Performance is albeit identical with the S tronic making any power/weight advantage moot. I personally found the GTs seats tortuous. Very firm and very narrow around the hips. R Tronic is old school tech now and feels it.

Depreciation will be good though for rarity value but R8s are only OKish rather than exceptional in that respect. When the newer Plus's are a little older they will slow down a bit depreciation wise too.

Personally, The Plus every time. But in the end I couldn't get over the fact that the R8s sister car shared that amazing motor and was just a bit more of an event in every way. So I bought a Gallardo instead.

Haven't been disappointed , they really are Audis with fine italian suits.

Edited by Dblue on Monday 16th February 12:32
Thanks for the feedback, you say you spent ages looking at GT's, did you do this a while ago when there was a few on the market ? Maybe when the prices were higher too ?

Understand what you are saying, the buckets are very firm compared to say a gt3 and also narrower, I love them they fit great and could spend hours in them.

Considered a Gallardo but not for me right now, the GT is an event I believe and I think it's totally different to any of the other R8 variants, and I think you will find that as mentioned it will give a great account of itself on track.

This car is not for the faint hearted, more the GT3 club sport brigade, you can keep the S Tronic, the R Tronic is much more involving and works well with the fabulous v10, the down changes work great too.

Yes in full auto mode it's got that sluggish change up but it's no issue what so ever for me, i drive it with sport on and in the manual gear change mode, and when you're slowing for junctions at normal speed it changes down for you. Pull away and go up through the box with the paddles and listen to the V10 sing, awesome machine love it !
I drove 3 GTs and 3 V10 Pluses. The relationship between GT and regular V10 is not the same as Carrera and GT3. A GT3 is substantially less refined than a regular 911 (and an R8 GT) but is also far more tactile and more rewarding with sensational steering, flat planted cornering and amazing feedback. The GT is only marginally different to the V10 which damns it with faint praise but I don't mean to deride the car, just that the R8 is a pretty wonderful thing anyway. The engine in the V10 is a monster, one of the very best money can buy but in my view the GT is not sufficiently hard core to differentiate it and ended up being bettered by the last of the line V10 Pluses.

In terms of being an event, the car has always been hamstrung by its badge and in stock form its disappointing lack of noise.Its a tough act for any brand to bridge the gap between a mid-engine supercar and a £13k hatchback. It does mean servicing and ownership is pretty painless though.

Porsche40

15 posts

155 months

Wednesday 18th February 2015
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Totally agree with the badge snob affliction the R8 suffers. Agree the Plus is the better overall day to day option.
Do not agree the GT cannot be compared to the GT Porsches in its overall chassis feel. This is where the GT is at its best, steering is sharp unlike the Plus which feels numb in comparison, most Audi,s suffer this numb affliction in my experience ,but not the GT. Damper/ spring combination is the one of the best calibrated set ups on any GT car I have come across.
Stiff but never unsettling the car ,on the most uneven B roads. I have owned most of the GT Porsches currently the 991 gt3 ,which as others have posted, probably one of the best cars I have ever driven (taking away the manual argument ) putting the GT along side it for driving satisfaction .
There's an old episode of the German car show GRIP which you can see on Y/tube ,where the journos take a GT and SLS for a blast up a mountain rd in Winter ,then Walter Rohrl joins them in a GT2RS . Worth a watch just to see Rohrl , wide eyed and on the limit .
Still happy John?

leeGT2

311 posts

181 months

Wednesday 18th February 2015
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I remember once being on a circuit in my Ferrari Scuderia and I was overtaken by an Audi GT. I tried to then keep up with it but it was impossible. It seemed to accelerate and brake harder. A few months later, I bought a Nissan GTR and had the brakes and engine updated To a stage 4 with over 600bhp and Toyo tyres. Coincidentally the same GT happened to be there on another track day event. This time the situation was reversed and the GTR was quicker but the R8 GT was not too far behind. It is a proper weapon and deserves respect.

d16rr

Original Poster:

162 posts

164 months

Wednesday 18th February 2015
quotequote all
Porsche40 said:
Totally agree with the badge snob affliction the R8 suffers. Agree the Plus is the better overall day to day option.
Do not agree the GT cannot be compared to the GT Porsches in its overall chassis feel. This is where the GT is at its best, steering is sharp unlike the Plus which feels numb in comparison, most Audi,s suffer this numb affliction in my experience ,but not the GT. Damper/ spring combination is the one of the best calibrated set ups on any GT car I have come across.
Stiff but never unsettling the car ,on the most uneven B roads. I have owned most of the GT Porsches currently the 991 gt3 ,which as others have posted, probably one of the best cars I have ever driven (taking away the manual argument ) putting the GT along side it for driving satisfaction .
There's an old episode of the German car show GRIP which you can see on Y/tube ,where the journos take a GT and SLS for a blast up a mountain rd in Winter ,then Walter Rohrl joins them in a GT2RS . Worth a watch just to see Rohrl , wide eyed and on the limit .
Still happy John?
Very Happy, I feel the same as you, you have summed it up just great and have reinforced how I felt about the GT from the moment I drove it to that itch I need to scratch right now, I need to drive this car so it's coming out later for a little play hehe !!!