R8 Ownership

[And9s]

I'm in the process of swapping our two cars to buy one super-duper car and an everyday diesel BMW.
I am interested to hear about R8 ownership and their pro's and cons. My Exige 240S has been a great car but folding myself in and out of Lotuses for the past 5 years has worn a little thin.
We have lived with a 3.2 Mk2 TT for the past 3 years as well and it hasn't missed a beat.
Are the R8 fleet as easy to live with and will I still be pleased with the handling and performance??
Any input will be greatly appreciated, i've had a nose through this forum and can't find much info regarding R8's

[Tame Technician]

As long as you get a manual and not R tronic, I'm sure you will be very pleased with an R8 indeed.

[AndWhyNot]

Speak to garyhun on here, used a V8 coupe as his only/ daily driver.

[DMC2]

I had the perfect R8 experience.

Bought one from an Audi garage last December, used it everyday. Did roughly 5,000 miles in six months. Absolutely loved it. No issues.

Exceedingly good handling car, amazing sound, brilliant build quality and more than enough performance for the road. Mine was white/black and go more attention than my previous car (orange 997 RS), but amazingly the attention was always very very positive. People constantly stopped to take pictures of it.

The only reason I sold it was because my new GT3 is due for delivery in a couple of weeks.

I sold it to a dealer for £600 quid less than I paid for it. I used about £800 of tyre rubber when I owned it!!!

Definitely my best car ownership experience so far.

As always, only let down by Audi dealers who are more than useless.

D.

[j3gme]

Had one for 9 months now .........fantastic car (manual box) cheap to run as well had its first service 8000miles 2 year old £510 inc vat ! you would pay twice that Ferrari Lambo etc..

[bobo]

its true i couldnt find much info either.

out of interest, what does audi charge for a new clutch fitted on one of these and how long do they last ?

i was looking at an R8 as a daily driver so 10/15k miles a year.... which may be a bad idea ? ...

thanks

[anonymous-user]

As AndWhyNot states I have used mine as a daily driver for a year now (my ONLY car). I actually sold mine 2 weeks ago to a dealer for close to what I paid for it so it's also been very cheap driving. I've gone over to a used BMW Coupe while I decide what to go for next and the most telling thing to say is I REALLY MISS THE R8!!!

I covered about 8K miles and in all that time never missed a beat. I did a few of long trips (500+ miles in one go) as well as everything in between and used it to go to the supermarket every week. Every drive put a smile on my face and every time I stepped out of the car I felt as fresh as a daisy, it really is so comfortable.

It's only the second car I have ever owned where I would happily buy another knowing I would love it every drive. Whilst I contemplate the next car there is a white Spyder calling my name and I just do not know if I can resist

I would say "just do it" but if you're not sure and have any specific questions please ask away.

[quantum30]

I bought mine in march, had 3000 miles on the clock. also tried F430 and gallardo but decided R8 is more suitable for daily usage.

Its my only car and i drive it everyday and night

My feed back would be:

- Engine sounds great
- Build quality is very high
- Costs me around £100 a week in petrol (ok, i have a heavy right foot)
- You need to check the oil level once a month and add a litre when required
- Being a sports car, rear visibility is limited
- Audi dealers can be very difficult. West London was Ok tho, better than the other ones i dealt with.
- Just go and buy it. Manual is fine, clutch is not heavy at all.

handling and performance are great. 420hp is enough for anyone. Handling is amazing. Never had a problem.

Edited by quantum30 on Saturday 26th June 14:42

[bluesatin]

I use the V10 as everday car and no problems in past 8 months other than the traction is quite lively in the winter (compared to 997tt). Eats Tyres (rear on mine went in 6,000 miles and fronts are close at 9,000). The sound is amazing!

[xto]

Hello,

I recently bought a R8 V10 Spyder

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Prior to buying i kept an eye on the Audi Forum, but thought it best to post in the Ferrari/ Lambo one instead.

I dont use the car as an every day rather as a Sunday car. But after a few drives its very easy to drive, engine noise is not ear bashing, unless you have a heavy right foot! I have the R tronic, why do people not like it so much?

I find the r tronic perfect for London city driving.

But the attention you get is like no other car. So far, (and hope it only continues) all comments have been positive.

Good luck with your choice!


Xto

[VAG1]

The R-tronic in the V10 is smoother than the V8. The V8 one is very jerky.

[anonymous-user]

xto said:

I have the R tronic, why do people not like it so much?

As has been said it was jerky on the V8 plus many sports car people feel a sports car should have manual.

I was one of those people until I did an Audi driving experience day at Silverstone in April in a V10 R8 with R-troninc and was totally hooked. Awesome gearbox on that car - especially around a track!

[Daniel1]

i find the r-tronic rubbish in traffic. But it makes perfect sense when going quickly. Do i miss the manual? Depends what mood im in on the day.