Tempted by an early Audi R8, who's got one?
Discussion
I've adored these since they first came out, and after 5 years with my Z4MC (it's been - and still is - awesome) I'm tempted to jump into an early R8 even if it's just for a short period of time.
So I guess I'd like to know from anyone who's had or got one, what do I need to be on the look out for? Is there a typical desirable spec, what horrors should I beware of, and what kind of servicing/servicing intervals do they have? I'm guessing servicing, brakes and tyres will be more painful than I'm used to, but figure the 4.2 V8 should be pretty strong bering in mind it's been around a while and has been used in other models...
Any feedback on them appreciated... right now I'm not sure if I need talking into or out of it!
So I guess I'd like to know from anyone who's had or got one, what do I need to be on the look out for? Is there a typical desirable spec, what horrors should I beware of, and what kind of servicing/servicing intervals do they have? I'm guessing servicing, brakes and tyres will be more painful than I'm used to, but figure the 4.2 V8 should be pretty strong bering in mind it's been around a while and has been used in other models...
Any feedback on them appreciated... right now I'm not sure if I need talking into or out of it!
Ive had one coming up to two yrs now and I'm still enjoying it. Spec wise,they all usually come with pretty good if varying spec. The main options seem to be mag ride,B&O stereo and extended leather. Carbon blades and trim are nice but really depends on what colour car you go for.
They do suffer from a few issues. The mag ride dampers are a nice thing to have but are prone (very prone) to leaking,some in less than 10k miles and will set you back around £800 a corner for the part alone. Check for MOT advisories and oil on the struts if you can.
Air con issues are not uncommon. Compressor failure is an engine out job though more common is pressure switch failure which is a relatively cheap and easy fix.
Mine had a coolant leak which needed a network of metal piping underneath the car replacing £550 at a specialist and oil leaks from the oil cooler pipes located in front of the n/s rear wheel are common and about the same cost to sort.
Audi service intervals are set pretty long,2yrs or 20k miles and alternate between oil service and inspection. Personally I think this is too long and would look to change the oil every 10k at least particularly if you do short journey driving. Audi service prices will range between about £500-£1500 depending on what needs doing though supplying your own oil,plugs etc will save you more than you might think!
Engine,gearbox etc seem to be very strong with no real scare stories,build quality,interior etc are excellent.
Check for corrosion around the bonnet and door edges,they do use oil up to a litre every 1000k miles and a bit of oil smoke from the exhaust on cold start up is normal. You will get a kind of diff locking skipping from the front wheels on tight manoeuvres which is also normal
I recently put a set of pilot supersports on mine,much better than the OE p zeros,£800 online then paid for fitting.
Brakes last well but budget about £1000 per axel.
I know you can probably pick one up for £40k now but personally I would look to start at around £45k. As with any car,the cheapest ones are the tatty ones.
They do suffer from a few issues. The mag ride dampers are a nice thing to have but are prone (very prone) to leaking,some in less than 10k miles and will set you back around £800 a corner for the part alone. Check for MOT advisories and oil on the struts if you can.
Air con issues are not uncommon. Compressor failure is an engine out job though more common is pressure switch failure which is a relatively cheap and easy fix.
Mine had a coolant leak which needed a network of metal piping underneath the car replacing £550 at a specialist and oil leaks from the oil cooler pipes located in front of the n/s rear wheel are common and about the same cost to sort.
Audi service intervals are set pretty long,2yrs or 20k miles and alternate between oil service and inspection. Personally I think this is too long and would look to change the oil every 10k at least particularly if you do short journey driving. Audi service prices will range between about £500-£1500 depending on what needs doing though supplying your own oil,plugs etc will save you more than you might think!
Engine,gearbox etc seem to be very strong with no real scare stories,build quality,interior etc are excellent.
Check for corrosion around the bonnet and door edges,they do use oil up to a litre every 1000k miles and a bit of oil smoke from the exhaust on cold start up is normal. You will get a kind of diff locking skipping from the front wheels on tight manoeuvres which is also normal
I recently put a set of pilot supersports on mine,much better than the OE p zeros,£800 online then paid for fitting.
Brakes last well but budget about £1000 per axel.
I know you can probably pick one up for £40k now but personally I would look to start at around £45k. As with any car,the cheapest ones are the tatty ones.
Thanks for the info guys, some useful advice. I think first off I'll be looking for one without mag ride as they sound a little too fragile (and pricey) for my liking... has anyone replaced a mag ride set up for a 'standard' set up? Agree on the extra oil servicing, similar thing recommended on Z4Ms in fact. Didn't know about them using oil, is that the same on all of those 4.2 V8s across the Audi range?
I hear you on the cheapest on the market, I'm pretty fussy on condition so I'm sceptical I'll find something I'll really want right at the lowest end of the market...
As for the V10, I'm pretending they don't exist as that's definitely out of my budget, although I'd imagine it transforms what is already a fantastic car!
I hear you on the cheapest on the market, I'm pretty fussy on condition so I'm sceptical I'll find something I'll really want right at the lowest end of the market...
As for the V10, I'm pretending they don't exist as that's definitely out of my budget, although I'd imagine it transforms what is already a fantastic car!
I bought an 08 R8 last year and love the car.
It can be tricky to find one without the mag ride as it was a popular option when new. Cars without it need to be cheap as it is still a popular option on the used market in my experience. Other options that are worth having are the parking sensors, and the b&o sound system which is really good.
Personal preference but I bought a manual car, as I understood that the early r-tropic box wasn't great. The later s-tropic twin clutch box is much better apparently.
I've found oil consumption to be much better than expected, and running costs to date are not unreasonable for this type of car. Do factor in a de-coke every few years, an Indy should charge £300-400 or so. It's a problem which seems to affect the RS4 engine more for some reason but will release a few more horses on the R8.
Good luck with the search - there are quite a few useful threads in here, some of which I have commented on recently if that helps you find them. Dr G is the technical expert and knows the cars and their issues well. It was actually quite hard to find the right car if you are fussy like me in respect of spec and history.
Bear in mind that depreciation on the early cars is pretty much non existent which may help the man maths!
It can be tricky to find one without the mag ride as it was a popular option when new. Cars without it need to be cheap as it is still a popular option on the used market in my experience. Other options that are worth having are the parking sensors, and the b&o sound system which is really good.
Personal preference but I bought a manual car, as I understood that the early r-tropic box wasn't great. The later s-tropic twin clutch box is much better apparently.
I've found oil consumption to be much better than expected, and running costs to date are not unreasonable for this type of car. Do factor in a de-coke every few years, an Indy should charge £300-400 or so. It's a problem which seems to affect the RS4 engine more for some reason but will release a few more horses on the R8.
Good luck with the search - there are quite a few useful threads in here, some of which I have commented on recently if that helps you find them. Dr G is the technical expert and knows the cars and their issues well. It was actually quite hard to find the right car if you are fussy like me in respect of spec and history.
Bear in mind that depreciation on the early cars is pretty much non existent which may help the man maths!
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