According to this article the c4s lacks soul and they would pick the R 8 for more fun and better sound.

http://wheels.ae/drives/group-tests/...a-4s-1.1190651

 

Never heard of this magazine or reviewers so I'll give them even less credibility than I give to other rags (which is almost zero!). Go ahead and recite this single sentence in one go! Hehehe.

"The gain in weight is effectively counterbalanced by the increased traction, and the immediacy and precision of the car’s responses to your inputs, the sublime dynamics, the fluency with which it progresses and the distinctively raspy engine note — especially with the optional sports exhaust system — combine to make your time behind the wheel as gratifying as you’d expect in a 911."

After that sentence I stopped reading!

 

Everyone is entitled to their own stupid opinion! R8 is a great car but it is a difficult car to live with. Virtually no storage. If you are looking for a car to go to dinner the R8 is as good a choice as the 458 and the Lamborghini. Other than that ... . Just my opinion.

 

why not throw in a 458, a lambo, etc? what the over/under thread count by the end of the day? 50, 100? WHo cares.

 

OK, but I just am not sure I understand the comparison. The R8, the Lambo, the 458 are all beautiful cars with lots of performance and design. But is the 911 the car to compare with - the answer seems to inevitably be yes. But then some of the features of the 911 which make it such a wonder are ignored or discounted such as room, back seat, storage, comfort as well as all of its outstanding drive qualities - handling, speed, etc. If I am going to plunk down this kind of cash, I want to be able to drive it. I don't want to be living in fear that my wife might call, ask me to decelerate to pick up some milk and a few items and have to say no becuase I have no place to put them.

 

There is always personal (and sometimes financial) bias.

I recall a few years back when the M3 scored better than the 911 (997) Turbo in a C&D review, simply because the backseat was larger. Everybody has there own criteria on what a sports car is.

I won't click on the link, because it will add to their hits, and I won't add to that. But I got the gist of the review...

Without reading - they are both great cars, the C4S out performs the R8, but the R8 was more fun... Am I close?

Don't care.

 

Touche!

 

I've owned several 997.2 and now two R8's. I think that the two cars are more different than the reviewers would have us think. The R8 occupies a somewhat unique niche that is somewhere between the "practical" and the "exotic". If 15 years ago there was an R8, I would never have chosen it over a 911 - there's great pleasure in taking your young family on a ride and hearing your kids squeal with delight. For an empty-nester like me the R8 is a fine second car. I don't think of the R8 as in the same class as a Lambo or Ferrari - it is more practical and comfortable than either of those cars and in a different price/prestige class. Personally, I would never feel comfortable driving a gallardo, which is closer in price to the top-of-the line R8 Plus - way too over-the-top exterior design.

As far as performance, there is no useful difference on the street - both 911s and R8s have great acceleration, handling, brakes etc. and can quickly get you busted. As far as look are concerned, I'm now just as enamored of the looks of the new Boxster as those of the R8, so it's all about opinion.

My overall conclusion - comparing the 911 and the R8 makes sense if you are trying to sell ad space in a car magazine.

 

Excellent post!

I agree.

 

I for one don't really care what the mags write. For me it was 991, no contest with any other car, as I had fallen in love with this new iteration of a classic since I first saw it in the flesh at the dealer. Also, when I was a student, THE thing that motivated me to keep studying at night when I really was not in the mood to do so anymore were my Porsche 911 posters. Countless are the times when I wanted to quit, but just turned around, looked at the posters, and dug my head in the books again as I knew that one day ... and this week my brand spanking new 991 will be built in Germany !
So you can imagine, with that in mind, I couldn't care less about what a mag writes about this or that car. Puhlease, don't compare an Audi R8 to my history-laden dreamcar that is the 911, it's just futile to me at this point in time !

 

The R8 is a fine car and much better now that they's added the double-clutch S-Tronic (and faster, too). Both the V8 and the V10 are quite loud but coupe owners complained about the lack of sound in the cabin and many opted to permanently open the valves in the exhaust to increase the sound. With my V10 Spyder with the top down it was a glorious sound and upon start-up the bark was HUGE, so much so that neighbors sure took notice. There was absolutely zero need to replace the OEM exhaust with an aftermarket sport exhaust. Edge: Audi.

I don't have my Carrera S yet so can't make any driving comparisons but in a head-to-head comparison of the more expensive R8 V8 to the Carrera 4S, I think the Porsche wins handily, performance-wise. The considerably more expense V10 is reportedly very fast, in super car territory. Edge: Porsche.

The R8 is indeed an entry-level exotic super car whereas the 911 never pretended to be any such thing. The 911 is more comfortable, more roomy and an all-around better daily driver than the R8. I didn't find my R8 comfortable, but many drivers do. No winner here as both are what they are and not in the same class of car, IMO.

The R8's striking looks and its rarity will garner lots of attention which is probably not as likely when driving a 991. When I drove my R8 Spyder V10 around, people would routinely take pictures and videos and ask me stuff about it. I'm not sure that's gonna happen much when I get my 991 Coupe but that's just fine: I don't require all that attention even though it felt good at the time.

The vast majority of automotive press has nothing much negative to say about the 991 and it is certainly considered the best 911 ever. I'm not going to let the press change my feelings and neither should the O.P.

 

Every once in awhile, the financial stars and planets align for us car owners. It happened once before for me when I purchased an early 996 turbo and sold it for more than I paid for it after 10000 miles.

It happened again with the R8 I just bought. Because of the announcement of the dual clutch R8 for this year's cars, last years R8 sales tanked. Audi of America started putting huge trunk money on the leftover 2012 R8's to move them to get ready for the dual clutch 2014s (there was no 2013 in the US). These incentives were for either the older single clutch automatics or the 6 speed manuals (which was, and remains a great transmission). So I picked up a new, loaded R8 V10 spyder manual for $140K. Sticker was around $180K. Now that the leftovers are gone and the 2014s are out, dealer discounts are tiny at best and the 2012s have regained much of their used car values.

 

Futile to some, not everyone.

Some people are starting their dreams now. Others may not care about dreams, but rather which car is best for them at this particular moment, for a particular purpose.

If we only bought cars that have been around a while, where would Pagani and Koenigsegg be today?

Where would Porsche have been years ago?

Hell, 20 years ago, I had never heard of a Skyline GT-R (even though they've been around for decades before then). My eyes were opened when I moved to Japan. I, too, had everything Porsche many years ago (which is why I inevitably purchased one, and will most likely purchase another one in the not so distant future). Times change. Sometimes, the newer car IS better (R8 vs 911).

Not for everyone, though. Nostalgia plays a big role sometimes. When you take that part out (because it is such a large variable from person to person), the numbers just kind of lay themselves out.

Price wise, the R8 and 911 are very similar.
Performance, they are similar as well.

But their methods of achieving these end targets are approached quite differently, with differing features.

 

They should compare the 991 Turbo S and the R8 V10.

 

Wow! You really got a steal! The gated manual is a joy to drive. Use it in good health.