I'm very happy with my 911 C2S, its my second Porsche and I feel it's better in every way than my previous Cayman S. However, I'm toying with the idea of changing it, possibly in the next few months. I'm not really sure *why* I'm thinking of changing but I guess I just get into these moods every now and then.

I've looked around at the obvious choices, as per usual, the 911 is pretty hard to beat in this class of car ; so I'm left with the choice of either another 911, a GT3 perhaps or a TT OR the Audi R8.

I no longer have the requirement that I had for rear seats before, when the 911 was my DD ( I now have a cooper S to run around in ) so all of the above would work for me. There's absolutely no way I can afford to break $100k so that rules out Lambo's/Ferrari's for me and to be honest, I want something I can afford to drive, not be scared of it breaking.

I drove an R-Tronic R8 about 3 months ago and was not very happy with the coined "R-Tragic" gearbox. I've driven just about every hyper/super car going and I was pretty shocked at how rough the gearbox felt, even in comparison to the older Gallardo's. I'd probably try to find a manual if it came down to it however. My initial concern with the R8 was residual value, I had a feeling that being "just an Audi" that it would suffer pretty harshly in the depreciation stakes ; it appears however that I was wrong.

What are you thoughts on the R8? Do you think I'm mad to change at all or do you have any better suggestions?

Thanks

 

R8 base price is 115k before you do anything to it. Would you be looking for used? Here is the Jay Leno comparison of the old R8 to the new R8 V10.

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/at-the...s-audi-r8-v10/

 

Yes, I'd be looking at a preowned. There are a few here with less than 7k on them that the dealers will work at around $100k.

Thanks

 

It's a beaut, with arguable one of the most beautiful interiors around. It's a German car with Italian pizazz. It could be a daily driver. Its engine (at least the V8) might not be quite as exciting as the 911's 6, but it might be a nice change. Good luck with the decision--

 

forget the R8 - for the kind of money they charge, it can't even come close to competing with the TT.

based on what you wrote, I'd say new 997S or used 997 turbo all the way. If you ever get bored, you can always pony up for a set of HRE wheels and coilovers.

 

You're not mad at all. An associate just showed up at our local shop with a R8 V10. A beautiful car, and a real beast. I have not driven it, but spoke with a few who have - including a young local pro driver who had only good things to say about it.
But the issue here is that at the level you're talking about: R8, GT3, TT, you're talking about taste, not value or capability.
In that regard, the R8 is an easier car to drive, has a gloriously modern interior, and is stunningly beautiful. It seems a bit softer compared to P-cars - certainly versus the GT3. And the appearance of the R8 puts it in to the 'look at me' category of, say, a Gallardo which, for me, is bothersome and problematic.
For me, there is no better drive than a mid-engined car. But at those prices, I'd rather have a harder edge to it than the R8 seems to provide. That said, it is shockingly fast, NA powered, and superbly balanced.
Finally, notwithstanding the fact that Audi builds solid and dependable cars, this one is still relatively immature and may require more service than the proven 911. I've always considered the 911 to be 'the supercar you can drive everyday' but other than too much crowd appeal, the R8 is 'the other supercar that can be driven everyday'.
But like I said, it's all about taste. I do know that when it comes time to replace my cab, I'll look very hard at the forthcoming R8 cab. Likely too pricey, but it has to be considered.
Keep us posted re your test drive.

 

I know the R8 very well (I ordered one, but then cancelled), and have followed the market closely.

Due to the very low production numbers, the R8 has bucked the typical Audi depreciation curve. The manual is the way to go. It performs better and saved $8K compared to R-tronic cars. But I think they are harder to find on the used market.

Last time I looked, the only ones available >$100K had higher mileage and/or bad color combos. However, I wouldn't necessarily be scared off by "higher" mileage cars... this is not a ferrari after all.

Clutch wear is somewhat of an issue, but much less so with the manual tranny (so long as the previous owner knew how to drive).

Prices of the used V8 model cars *might* be coming down soon as more and more V10 cars hit the road. However, with such low production numbers, this may prove to be untrue also.

 

I am not big on the styling, the front end looks squished. I can tell you that on the track, they are very fast, not as fast a GT3, but faster then a C2S. Audi's do depreciate faster then some other cars, but they make very nice cars.

 

I think the R8's styling puts it in the supercar ranks alot more than the 911 which most people that are not enthusiasts can not tell the difference. But I also think its not for those not looking to get any extra attention. It has all of the drama and occasion of a supercar but the edges rounded off so its a car that is great to drive, yet forgiving. Go drive both cars back to back and make your decision from there. I think the R8 has a few hard to quantify areas which are better such as its styling, interior and mid engine layout. Get a manual though, the R Tragic does nothing better than the manual!

 

Go with what you know. You say that you're happy with your current P-car. Although the exclusivness of the Audi means you won't meet your R8's twin coming down the road, I'd opt for known-vs-unknown; especially when dealing with a newer model without much history to back it up. I'm biased, but if I had the bucks I'd jump at the chance to own a new GT3, in yellow, and optioned to the gills.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaENG1vt6-Y

 

I woild not buy an Audi R8 if it were the only sports car. The only other car I woild place below it on my list is a Ferrari.

The R8 may be the best Audi I have ever seen yet it still has no appeal to me. Going back to the 1980's when owners had cars going in reverse , to the 90's when the A4 had the most deploarable interior that i even reject the car as a loaner . it does not matter that the new ones are nicer .. to mew an audi has always been an inferior car to BMW .. much less Porsche .. and the R8 (priced inn 997tt territory) isn't even as nice as the c2s. As for the new 10 Cylinder engine .. much improved but still can't hold a PDK TT or modded 997tt.

 

JC is highly noted to not like Porsche at all. Where are RH loves and ownes them.

 

Exactly, there are biases there. But you can't deny the results of the race. Also, there is a new version of the show where JC reviews the V10 version and loathes it.

 

Thanks for the input so far guys, I appreciate it. You've raised a lot of interesting points and seeing as the R8 is one of the only direct competitors to the 911, I felt posing the question here would be a wise choice!

As mentioned earlier, I did drive one a few months back. It didn't feel that quick, a lot softer than the 911 but a wonderful place to be, and of course, that V8 sounds wonderful! Looking past the R-Tronic gearbox, it was a great drive but I really need to drive a manual to get the full impression, my test drive was marred by nearly headbutting the steering wheel upon leaving the dealership due to the 1st to 2nd change....