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I cannot unsee the five sets of needle nose pliers in the wheels...
This says it all! Everything and every view of the car is way too busy to me. My head hurt after looking at the rear view. And I almost think the coupe is even uglier. I see these on the street and always think I'm looking at a Nissan.
Ultimately, the aesthetics of cars in this price range are a very subjective thing. I considered a bunch of cars before I bought my 991, including Jaguar, Lamborghini, R8, Aston Martin, various BMWs and MBs, but I kept coming back to the 991.
I've been eyeing the new R8 for a while. I love the idea of a NA V10. My local dealer finally had one in stock (Red) and I rushed over to see it. I was completely underwhelmed. They had a last gen R8 next to it and I thought it looked much better. They also had a new Turbo (Graphite Blue) and GT3RS in the show room and I would definitely drop my money on one of those over the R8.
I'm kinda bummed because I've been an Audi fan for a long time and an R8 has always been on my bucket list.
Love the R8 interior, V10, and the gated shifter. Unfortunately the looks have never done it for me. The proportions are fantastic but something about the floating headlights and the myriad of creases just puts me off. Buddy has the the ten and it sounds glorious.
I agree about underwhelming looks on the R8, especially the convertible. I wonder if corporate desires to "share" designs across the brand is partly to blame. Sure, they get some hand-me-down glamour from the flagship models for the lower price, mass-produced models. But then the look becomes common, and diminishes the impact of seeing the flagship.
Parked next to this this morning. I know it's a "cousin." I know it's a V10. I know it's a "super-car." But in the flesh, and compared to my 991.2, I found it to be totally underwhelming. It looks small: almost teeny. Very little "presence." Kind of like a slightly sportier TT. Am I missing something? A Carrera —any 911—still takes my breath away. This makes me sigh.
I really do wish I felt the same way as you about my 911 because I would love to trade in my current one for a new one but I find I rarely look at mine and think WOW anymore ... Lately I'm thinking maybe I need to get some new wheels or a rear spoiler to spruce it up ... with that said when I look at my R8 I am still blown away.
The 991 is the one that is more fun to drive aggressively and the sound with the sport exhaust on is great especially with the burbles and gurgles.
BTW it is strange when I see them in my garage together the R8 looks longer and the roofline is lower while the Porsche looks stubbier and taller. I never looked it up until this thread and like it states here to my surprise the R8 is smaller by a couple of issues.
Part of what makes the 911 so attractive is its' 50+ year history and iconic design. It is an organic shape developed through evolutionary design. I look at the R8/R10 and see nothing but a Audi corporate attempt to fill a hole in their product line. I'm sure it is a great sports car, but it does nothing to attract me to it.
The R8 Spyder is a beautiful car, much better looking than my 991.1S Cab. I had my buddy's 2014 V-10 R8 Spyder next to my car and the difference is night and day. One looks like a semi exotic supercar, while the 991 just looks like a nice sports car, nothing special. However, that being said, I definately prefer driving my MT 991 over the auto R8 all day, everyday!