When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
There is no doubt that a R8 (even with the 8 cylinder) would be an awesome ride.... but if you have hopes of taking you and your wife on a long multi-day drive with overnight stops, you better ship your bags ahead b/c the R8 frunk is barely big enough for a medium-sized backpack. I looked at the R8 and passed on that point alone since I like to take my rigs on multi-day drives. (FWIW, I ended up going with a P450 F-type which not only has the street presence of a R8 IMO, but has a decent-sized trunk for our planned road trips.)
Ok I'll be the parent in the room. First you made a mistake getting a pdk car. That's ok we all make mistakes. But don't fix it by making another mistake. Used luxury cars usually need some kind of repair shortly after they are sold. So there's a good chance you could be looking at a big bill after you buy.
The R8 is an attainable semi-supercar so I get the appeal. Buts it's real world performance is not all that super so it's more about the look and exclusivity. If that's what matters most to you then go for it. If it's a manual you want I'd find a manual Cayman instead.
Ok I'll be the parent in the room. First you made a mistake getting a pdk car. That's ok we all make mistakes. But don't fix it by making another mistake. Used luxury cars usually need some kind of repair shortly after they are sold. So there's a good chance you could be looking at a big bill after you buy.
The R8 is an attainable semi-supercar so I get the appeal. Buts it's real world performance is not all that super so it's more about the look and exclusivity. If that's what matters most to you then go for it. If it's a manual you want I'd find a manual Cayman instead.
haha...thanks dad
yeah, that is sound advice and probably what I end up doing.... The appeal of the R8 is a few things like you mentioned and it's always just been one of my dream cars...also, a gated manual in mint condition are getting harder and harder to find, so I'm likely to make a few bucks if and when I decide to sell it.
The one I'm eying is at a very reputable exotic dealer who I've know for years who I can trust and will take a few bucks off the price for me, so it is tempting to say the least. I recently turned 50 and in that YOLO state of mind so that doesn't help
Wife gave me the go ahead, but a gotta sell a few toys to do it.(Cayman and a couple Sea Doos) so I'm probably gonna just pass on this one for now and than search for a manual CGTS or wait for another good deal on a gated R8
There is no doubt that a R8 (even with the 8 cylinder) would be an awesome ride.... but if you have hopes of taking you and your wife on a long multi-day drive with overnight stops, you better ship your bags ahead b/c the R8 frunk is barely big enough for a medium-sized backpack. I looked at the R8 and passed on that point alone since I like to take my rigs on multi-day drives. (FWIW, I ended up going with a P450 F-type which not only has the street presence of a R8 IMO, but has a decent-sized trunk for our planned road trips.)
The Audi will most likely be a weekend fun car...luckily we gotta couple other cars for road trips....this is our newest roadie(believe it or not, it actually gets better MPG than the Audi but that's not saying much ...ughh)
- you need to test drive the car. Especially compared to the a smaller/tossable car like the Cayman - you're going to probably feel the R8 is a bigger car and not so nimble. Yes the gated manual is beautiful but you're not going to be shifting fast with that transmission so its going to be more of a weekend car then everyday car that the cayman can be. You need to test drive to see if that is what you want.
- Resale on manual R8's are high. And rare so I believe the value will hold but again, is that what you want? A car that you're probably not going to drive much and stare at in the garage. Thats my 997 GTS but I have a 981 GTS to do most of my driving. The problem when you feel a car is gaining in value, the last thing you want to do is add miles to it - since miles is the biggest attribute for resale values.
- Did you look into a Cayman with a manual? Either a 718 or order a new 718 with the 4.0? The manuals in the Caymans are sublime and while not as pretty as the gated in the R8, I'm 100% possible they have a better shift/feel then what you will get in the R8.
If you've always wanted an R8, get the R8. Otherwise it'll always be on your mind and you don't want to always be wondering if you should've. If you don't like it, flip it. But at least you can say you did it and it ultimately wasnt for you. We've all wasted money on dumb(er) ****.
lol...found this old thread while googling more info on the gen 1 RB
as most of you know, I ended up buying a 718 6MT shortly after starting this thread as I ended up finding a beautiful graphite blue metallic at a Porsche dealer in Tucson in June of 2022
a 2018 low mile CPO base model that was a looker in that GBM....it was a great car, but I just wasn't driving it much and didn't like the way the market was going so I decided to sell her while she still had some warranty left and could maximize my value...ended up getting full asking price after a few months of dealing with spammers, scammers and low ball dreamers last month to a local who will take good care of her.
well, fast forward less than two years after starting this thread back in 2022, I am finally set to buy one of my dream cars.....you guessed it, a gen 1 gated manual R8
Looks like I got lucky and the car found me... I posted last month on the R8 forums about my plan to sell the 718 and get an R8 and a few of the forum members hit me up with some great info and one of them was a SoCal local in OC who offered me an invitation to come check out his silver 2010 V8 with gated shifter...so I took him up on his offer and went to check out the R8... As soon as he opened the garage and that gorgeous front fascia started to appear I was sold...She ws a minty well sorted 18K mile briliant silver stunner!!!
I came to find out he was one of the first to order the Emira and was expecting it soon and didnt have room for both and said he would let it go if someone offered him a certain price....
well....I went over my budget a bit and convinced the boss that it was worth it, cuz this is an "investment" which it is and lucky enough to get the green light and hope to finalize the deal next week... if all goes well I will have her in my garage by next Thursday!!!
Needless to say, I am very excited and can not wait !!!
I swear I could hear the angels chior singing as that garage door opened up
Good for you. I had a 2014 V10 for a couple years and had to sell it when my girls started college. Now slumming in a 2013 981 S (kidding). The R8 does have a lot more Oomph but it feels heavy. The all wheel drive though makes for a lot of fun in the foothills. I took it to Laguna Seca and ended up meeting a guy in a Boxster. He'd be right there in the curves but I'd pull him on the straights. Enjoy!
Sweet car. Always like them myself. But be careful saying it’s an investment. I know everyone wants a car to appreciate but it is not the norm. Sure it has a chance. But most likely scenario is there is a floor on price. With mileage and maintenance the best you can hope for is to drive for free. Covid and switch to EVs have had some effect on prices, especially manuals. But this will normalize over time. Hard to know what future collectibles will do, as the demographics are changing. I will say this an R8 is more collectible than a Cayman. If it was me I would drive that thing and enjoy and not worry about it. If it makes you happy, it’s worth the price.
Sweet car. Always like them myself. But be careful saying it’s an investment. I know everyone wants a car to appreciate but it is not the norm. Sure it has a chance. But most likely scenario is there is a floor on price. With mileage and maintenance the best you can hope for is to drive for free. Covid and switch to EVs have had some effect on prices, especially manuals. But this will normalize over time. Hard to know what future collectibles will do, as the demographics are changing. I will say this an R8 is more collectible than a Cayman. If it was me I would drive that thing and enjoy and not worry about it. If it makes you happy, it’s worth the price.
Yeah, one of the things that sold me on this particular one was how well it was cared for and he had just done the two big ticket items on the car, the AC compressor and swapped out the mag ride suspension for some MCS coilovers.
I'm getting it at such a good price considering the above and the low miles(.I'm getting it for less than I would pay for a new 718 Cayman S with zero options.) I couldn't pass it up...the gated manuals have hit the bottom and are now creeping back up on the coattails of the V10 manuals which are now fetching $150k on up for clean examples.. I will most likely only put about 2500 miles a year on it, so my plan is for it to be my "forever car" but if I decide to sell it for what ever reason, I think it will be worth more than what I pay for it. Needless to say, I can't wait
Congrats! What a great looking car. I always think about whether or not I want to explore another car outside of the 981 GT4 I have and the First Gen R8s are always on the back of my mind. If I was in your shoes and was set on already getting rid of the 718.. the local owner + maintenance records would push me over the edge to try it out. Plus it sounds like you got it for an awesome price.
I lurk on the forums a bunch and I always enjoy your topics of discussion. One thing we can all say for sure that you are losing out on is that Rennlist is definitely the superior forum .