R8 prices - where will they stop?

[eowen]

ufoufo said:

£58k at auction for a 2008 tronic car seems very good value against a new price of £88k, but was £88k just too much in the first place? Surely they wont fall below £40k ever?

Why wouldnt they? It's a 911 type of car - 997's that where 70odd grand new are now to be had for £40k (and less), I see no reason why R8's wont get there. Question is just when.

[darronwall]

i would think a sub 40k r8 is not out of the question within the next year

[jayfish]

it's not a limited production run so never going to be an investment car unless you want to stick one in a barn for 80 years

[bobthemonkey]

I don't know what it is about the R8, but nothing other than the name makes me think of Audi's impressive motorsport pedigree. In fact nothing about it screams excitement to me; the fast Audi estates seem more 'dangerous' and intriguing. Bizarrely the diesel engined one (heretic) reaches out to me more; it does something unique in the market and ties in with the Le Mans programme far more than the road-going R8.

I guess similar criticism could be leveled at the NSX , but the Honda does something to me, that intangible thing that all great cars do, that the Audi oddly lacks. FWIW, the R8 seems to be drawing an older driver, or rather less younger drivers, than the comparable Lamborghini or Ferrari.

[Speed_Demon]

LHDisbest said:

Lots for sale just now, plus it's not really a 'keeper' is it?

I found the R8 technically brilliant but a bit boring, plus a lot of cars were bought as 'investments' and have left quite a few people with burnt fingers.

I haven't seen a review saying it's boring?

If owners think it's boring to drive then they should probably look at their own driving skills more than the car.

[pits]

djon said:

sjn2004 said:

Mclovin said:

if they ever reach 40k i'll have one...people should just drive them and enjoy them, i'm fed up with seeing them with a few thousand miles on for sale...

and how much are 355's / 360's thesedays? (which were 100k+ new)

25k will get you 355 IIRC

A st one yes, I wuoldnt buy a 25k 355. 25k is a good 348, 355s demand a good price still, because they are just so amazing

[tomTVR]

ufoufo said:

Surely they wont fall below £40k ever?

Why not? Cars with better performance and much better badges will. Dont see whats so special about the R8.

[Airbag]

Audi are taking the R8 GT3 racing.

And anyone who's not driven it should shut up about it lacking soul, it's just about the best car I drove last year and only left me wanting more.

If that isn't soul, I don't know what is.

[Will26]

Airbag said:

Audi are taking the R8 GT3 racing.

And anyone who's not driven it should shut up about it lacking soul, it's just about the best car I drove last year and only left me wanting more.

If that isn't soul, I don't know what is.

Did you really enjoy it? I think its a nice car to look at, but didnt find driving it exciting. What else did you drive last year?

[bobthemonkey]

Will26 said:

Airbag said:

Audi are taking the R8 GT3 racing.

And anyone who's not driven it should shut up about it lacking soul, it's just about the best car I drove last year and only left me wanting more.

If that isn't soul, I don't know what is.

Did you really enjoy it? I think its a nice car to look at, but didnt find driving it exciting. What else did you drive last year?

I had the chance to passenger in the R8 and RS6 back to back. The RS6 put a much bigger smile on my face; now that might just be down to the wall of torque that smacks you in the face, or the knowledge that an estate car shouldn't be able to handle like that conflicting with what actually happens; I don't know. The R8 was quick, smooth and capable but didn't excite me. Technically I suspect it was more competent than the RS6, especially if you talk about lap times, suspension geometry and so on, the thing is, I just didn't enjoy myself in it as much as the RS6.

[Airbag]

Will26 said:

Airbag said:

Audi are taking the R8 GT3 racing.

And anyone who's not driven it should shut up about it lacking soul, it's just about the best car I drove last year and only left me wanting more.

If that isn't soul, I don't know what is.

Did you really enjoy it? I think its a nice car to look at, but didnt find driving it exciting. What else did you drive last year?

The most comparable thing would be a Gallardo Spyder (pre lp560-4), and compared with that, the Audi felt more planted, had more communicative steering and was generally more confidence inspiring. The gallardo's engine note was pretty sublime, but that R8 just felt like it was on a different level, much better resolved. I felt like I could do more than I ever could in the lambo, and if I could own either cost no object (and unable to have and flip obviously) it would be the R8 every time.

It's a hugely rewarding car to drive.

Give me an LP-560-4 for a day and I might have to reevaluate though.

[Airbag]

bobthemonkey said:

I had the chance to passenger in the R8 and RS6 back to back. The RS6 put a much bigger smile on my face; now that might just be down to the wall of torque that smacks you in the face, or the knowledge that an estate car shouldn't be able to handle like that conflicting with what actually happens; I don't know. The R8 was quick, smooth and capable but didn't excite me. Technically I suspect it was more competent than the RS6, especially if you talk about lap times, suspension geometry and so on, the thing is, I just didn't enjoy myself in it as much as the RS6.

I suspect that if you drove them both back to back, you'd switch those assessments. I've not had a shot at the RS6 yet (they aren't bringing it over here, you see,) but the R8 was really spectacular, it reset my bar for general competence in a non "are they kidding?"-ly expensive car. It's not flamboyant, and I thing some people are trying to characterize that as soul, but the R8 has an appeal all of it's own.

Edited by Airbag on Wednesday 18th February 02:39

[tenohfive]

I'm not going to voice an opinion on how the R8 (or any of its comparable rivals drives) because I just don't know...but whether people love it tends to hinge on how surprised they are by it.

People who expected it to drive very very well weren't surprised, and thus feel it doesn't have as much 'soul' whereas those who had lesser expectations were surprised at the cars capabilites - and loved it as a consequence.

Fair assessment?

Edited by tenohfive on Wednesday 18th February 02:53

[Will26]

Airbag said:

Will26 said:

Airbag said:

Audi are taking the R8 GT3 racing.

And anyone who's not driven it should shut up about it lacking soul, it's just about the best car I drove last year and only left me wanting more.

If that isn't soul, I don't know what is.

Did you really enjoy it? I think its a nice car to look at, but didnt find driving it exciting. What else did you drive last year?

The most comparable thing would be a Gallardo Spyder (pre lp560-4), and compared with that, the Audi felt more planted, had more communicative steering and was generally more confidence inspiring. The gallardo's engine note was pretty sublime, but that R8 just felt like it was on a different level, much better resolved. I felt like I could do more than I ever could in the lambo, and if I could own either cost no object (and unable to have and flip obviously) it would be the R8 every time.

It's a hugely rewarding car to drive.

Give me an LP-560-4 for a day and I might have to reevaluate though.

My daily drive is a Gallardo Superleggera. So maybe that has ruined the R8 for me. But I dont know theres just something I dont get about it. Still each to their own as they say.

[Airbag]

Will26 said:

Airbag said:

Will26 said:

Airbag said:

Audi are taking the R8 GT3 racing.

And anyone who's not driven it should shut up about it lacking soul, it's just about the best car I drove last year and only left me wanting more.

If that isn't soul, I don't know what is.

Did you really enjoy it? I think its a nice car to look at, but didnt find driving it exciting. What else did you drive last year?

The most comparable thing would be a Gallardo Spyder (pre lp560-4), and compared with that, the Audi felt more planted, had more communicative steering and was generally more confidence inspiring. The gallardo's engine note was pretty sublime, but that R8 just felt like it was on a different level, much better resolved. I felt like I could do more than I ever could in the lambo, and if I could own either cost no object (and unable to have and flip obviously) it would be the R8 every time.

It's a hugely rewarding car to drive.

Give me an LP-560-4 for a day and I might have to reevaluate though.

My daily drive is a Gallardo Superleggera. So maybe that has ruined the R8 for me. But I dont know theres just something I dont get about it. Still each to their own as they say.

But to my mind that's a hugely different proposition than the R8, especially in Superleggera trim. I just don't think that not being as dramatic as the Italians means the R8 lacks soul or character.

I think that driving the R8 for you must probably have been like driving an underpowered and muted version of your car, getting out of a Gallardo and into an R8 is asking a lot of the Audi.

[Nolar Dog]

£38995 coming soon.

[djon]

pits said:

djon said:

sjn2004 said:

Mclovin said:

if they ever reach 40k i'll have one...people should just drive them and enjoy them, i'm fed up with seeing them with a few thousand miles on for sale...

and how much are 355's / 360's thesedays? (which were 100k+ new)

25k will get you 355 IIRC

A st one yes, I wuoldnt buy a 25k 355. 25k is a good 348, 355s demand a good price still, because they are just so amazing

A good 348? Impossible.

[djon]

bobthemonkey said:

Will26 said:

Airbag said:

Audi are taking the R8 GT3 racing.

And anyone who's not driven it should shut up about it lacking soul, it's just about the best car I drove last year and only left me wanting more.

If that isn't soul, I don't know what is.

Did you really enjoy it? I think its a nice car to look at, but didnt find driving it exciting. What else did you drive last year?

I had the chance to passenger in the R8 and RS6 back to back. The RS6 put a much bigger smile on my face; now that might just be down to the wall of torque that smacks you in the face, or the knowledge that an estate car shouldn't be able to handle like that conflicting with what actually happens; I don't know. The R8 was quick, smooth and capable but didn't excite me. Technically I suspect it was more competent than the RS6, especially if you talk about lap times, suspension geometry and so on, the thing is, I just didn't enjoy myself in it as much as the RS6.

You wouldn't have experienced the numb lifeless steering of RS6 from the back seat.

[M3RMS]

I've not driven an R8 but from what I read it is a great drive.

But..... there's something about it I just don't aspire to. I don't feel any emotion to it at all. OK, I'll turn my head and have a butchers when one drives past - but not with the same enthusiasm as I do with a Turbo or GT2 goes by.

I have respect for the car but no desire.

[Chris_w666]

ufoufo said:

Surely they wont fall below £40k ever?

How long is ever?

I would bet £100,000 internet pounds that in my lifetime an Audi R8 can be bought for less than the current price of a base model A3.

Everything comes down in price eventually.