Coincident

Friend let me drive his R8 V8 coupe, MT last week. Great car. I was very impressed with how tight and rattle free it was. Handling was nimble and acceleration not lacking. The driving experience was more exciting than a base 911.

I find it enlightening when you visit the R8 forum and see how dedicated and in love the members are with their cars. Very different to the diversity of opinions to be found on this forum towards our Porsches. On the Audi forum it is rare to read comments expressing any negativity about the R8. In fact, in virtually all comparisons of the R8 to other super cars like Lambo, Ferrari or Porsche, the R8 is heavily favoured.

maxpowers

I cross shopped the R8 vs my C4S. In fact, it was my 2nd choice after the 911. I'm surprised you don't see more comparisons. Here's why I ended up with the 911

1. Wanted a little more storage room so i could take the car for a long trip
2. It's getting towards the end of the model run while the 991 is in the early stages
3. Wider than the 991 with a bigger turning radius so parking may be a problem
4. Car tech is dated (except it has a backup camera and some things not in the 991)

That being said driving the car was a blast and I absolutely love the gated shifter. I also really like the styling and didn't mind the interior as much as some have. I wish it had storage in the front and back like the Cayman. I've actually parked my 991 C4S next to an R8 and even though the R8 is a wonderful car I'm sure I made the right choice getting the C4S

Bleek

Yeah, definitely considered both, but Porsche was the dream car growing up. No other choice to scratch that itch really so that was what made the choice easy. R8 was VERY tempting though. I actually think the Spyder is the more attractive of the two.

When the 2013 Drivers Car video came out, it was nice to see the results and validate my decision. Pretty amazing field of competition, including R8. This is a long video, the end is what matters ;-)!

CSK 911 C4S

^^^^
Loved that, thanks for posting.

cbpdpm

Could not have said it better. Just traded my R8 V10 (Loved it) for a 15 GT3.
Overall Porsche experience is great!

MJBird993

I also cross-shopped these cars, and talked to some R8 owners, and it was this that really killed it for me. I don't need people staring - they stare enough as it is. The back seat in the 911 is useless for people, but I do get to throw gym bag, man purse, and the occasional groceries back there.

Excellent point that I had not considered! It's nice to have some other enthusiasts to help out when you have questions or issues.

CSK 911 C4S

Having been a Audi owner since 96 till 2011, I think ACNA and the Audi forums actually do this better then Porsche but then again I think it's all in what you get comfortable with.

Z356

You are serious, aren't you? You have found Audi forums better than Porsche forums like Rennlist? I am surprised you would say that...but cheers mate!

I'll let others verify for themselves the contents of the most popular R8 forum and let them reach their own conclusions:

http://www.r8talk.com/forums/5-general-discussion/

Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel

Scorponok

Curious why you're not comparing the R8 to the GT3, rather than the C4S. I get that the GT3 isn't quite as plush as the R8 or C4S, but price and performance wise, it's probably a better comparison, no?

MerlinsGarage

Rear wheel vs All-wheel.

WCE

It doesn't seem fair but generally the higher end the car, the more mechanically clueless the owner is likely to be and the more likely the online forum "advice" you're getting is from a 16 year old pimply faced kid!

Z356

16?

Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel

.

mgent

I'm doing some of that cross-shopping now, but admittedly holding off until the new R8 is released next year... I saw many comments about the v10+ vs C4S, but the comparison I'm looking at is the R8-V8 vs the C4S, as they are about the same price - $130 +/-, are both AWD so I can use year round in Chicago (get rid of both my 991 and my sedan)... I've always been a porsche fan, and have had a few 911's over time (996-S, 997-S, 997-4S, currently 991-S), so I'm likely leaning that way, but am thinking about it pretty hard... 911's are great DD sports cars, consistent over time, but that consistency is actually what's making me think about the r8 for a change of pace... I don't mind the storage issue, as I never really use the 991's limited storage... I have a manual now, but would likely get a PDK or the new DCT (S or R tronic - can't remember which is new) next so the wife could drive it if needed, is better in heavy chicago traffic, and frankly I find paddles just as fun as the stick... The more 'exotic' nature of the r8 is both a Pro and a Con... For me it is appealing to have something a bit sexier than the 991, but I am also hesitant about the amount of attention it would draw...

maxpowers

Just out of curiosity why don't you teach your wife to drive stick? I was also a little concerned about the attention with those side blades and the glass over the engine.

MerlinsGarage

I didn't realize there was that much of an attention issue with the R8!! So is it a "Shades of Grey" or an "Ironman" thing?