mmaturo

As a very long time Audi buyer and 11 of them at this point I hope the current designer has a short stay. Any car that he didn't design from the start looks forced and all the extra accent and crease lines across the models and extra little pieces on fenders and a few other things are just not the simple aesthetic that attracted me to the brand in the first place (the more simple Bauhaus inspired designs). The new R8 is growing on me but it is not the design icon/changer the first one was. My wife knows the **** eating grin on my face when I see and try a car and I like it but i'm not having that reaction as much to the new round of cars out there. I'm almost there on the 8 but not yet. 991.2 Targa I liked but not about to pay full price for one the way I would want it new (I would get the R8+ instead for nearly the same amount). I am ok with our family mover 2017 Q7 that is all his so it works, but the new S5 an inherited design redone has lost it, too much going on, the TT looks very forced, so until the next from scratch cars come out I don't think they will look right. Long story short my next Audi is likely to be another RS car but I can tell already I will not like the next RS5 as much as my first one and I am worried he will screw up the next RS7. The interiors however, that designer is doing a good job. I like the new 8 interior and some aspects of the newer cars are the next step ahead. I unfortunately like a fully integrated design inside/out. The 991 has it. The AMG GT has it though really tight inside and claustrophobic to me but I really want to like the car. I like the Vantage but too much of a GT to me, 570S almost got me to switch but reliability and depreciation I talked myself out of it easily. I am just not a Ferrari person nor want to hit that next step of price point but I do like the 458 and 488, just wouldn't buy one. I have actually turned my attention back to classic cars and have a 1960 Caddy and Corvette I am enjoying with another American classic being hunted down.

vjd3

The local Audi dealer has a new 2017 plus coupe on the showroom floor ... I took a look yesterday just for fun. It's blocked into the showroom, although they said I could come back and drive it if I wanted to. It was kind of comic ... three of them were trying to help me at once, two 20-something year old guys and a 20-something year old woman, not one of them seemed to know a thing about the car -- couldn't figure out how to open the engine compartment, had trouble with the front hood, were asking each other questions about how the exhaust flaps and race mode works, etc., while the other one kept wiping fingerprints off the paint. They actually had me start it up in the showroom which annoyed all the other people on the phone around us. LOL

Cabin is a bit cramped -- I am 6'1 195 lbs. -- but I fit okay. Reminded me of my former F430. Not really hitting the mark as far as feeling that "special" or high end in the cabin for a $200k car the way a Ferrari or even a Maserati GT does. But I liked the lines of the car better in person than I do in the photos and it did not seem so "TT" to me in person.

Anyway, if anyone's looking, Audi of Warwick RI has one and they seemed pretty excited that I was looking at it (to the point where none of them even asked for my name or contact information), so ...

phow

You hit on another good point that I totally forgot about when I owned my R8... The dealership really doesn't know what to do with these cars. When I brought it in for service, you would swear half of the staff didn't even realize it was an Audi...

The dealer experience was always pleasant but it was slightly annoying to have to wonder if the techs working on it knew what they were doing or not.

That is one thing I will say about the Porsche dealerships, they really know these cars and never seem out of their element when dealing with them.

911seeker

Guess you could take your R8 to the Lambo service team....

DocAB

ive just sold my 2016 R8 v10 + 2nd gen ...
ordered 911 GTS. IMO the R8 idoesn't have the same feedback as 911 .
lost over 40% on resale./
audi is just not Porsche
please don't go for the r8... you'll regret it

FiveRiversGTS

Probably will regret it giving up the 911/50.
I personally don't regret giving up my R8 for the GTS. However in retrospect I should have kept my CPO R8 and bought a CPO 911.

If I were in the OP shoes, I would just add a CPO R8 without trading since as you mentioned above you lost 40%. My personal opinion is that you will be back in a 911 sooner than you think. Also in my personal experience I drove the R8 for $23K for 35 months.

Z356

That, in a more acute basis, is the case
with the NSX. Imagine coming in for
service with your exotic model at those
Acura dealerships!

In a way, I felt the same way with my
old Z8 at the BMW dealership. And its
also the case with my current RS7 at
an Audi dealer. The other side of that
story is that a lot fewer of these cars
were made by BMW & Audi. So at least
they are rather uncommon. And that
could translate, sometimes but not
always, in better retention of value.

In twenty years time, Porsche will be in
the same boat when you bring in your
rare '999-whatever' for service. You will
be surrounded by Mission E's, Macans,
Cayennes & their descendents. Sportscars
might no longer be 'the thing' then at
Porsche. And this might happen a lot
sooner than in 20 years' time!

Saludos,
Eduardo
Scottsdale

phow

I wouldn't consider it an exotic but I went through exactly that with my GTR. Nothing better than having a 100k+ car worked on next to a Nissan Versa and having to chase away 17 year old porters that want to drive it around the lot...

My wife deals with the same sort of thing with her C7 Corvette. I will say Chevrolet is 100x better than Nissan.

8202632

Doc has already made up his mind. If the price is right that is.

Dewinator

Well Porsche HAS been making the same exact car for over 50 years with only minor tweaks here and there... I'd HOPE the dealership has figured out how to service them by now.

stealthpilot

Most vette owners I know service their cars at Cadillac.

R_Rated

I have a friend that is considering a 2014 V8 R8 at the moment. We met for drinks last night and I gave the disclaimer that I absolutely love my 911.... that looks were subjective and arguably we may not love the looks of a 911 if not for the engineering.

That being said - I'm trying and can't find a single review, youtube video or article that crowns the R8 over a Porsche.... even a track comparison shows a Boxtster Spyder beating an R8(v8) spyder.

Bacura

Well, I have done a lot of soul searching. My Porsche SA didn't want me to have buyer remorse. Most Porsche/car guys felt the 911/50 was more special than the R8. I could do the R8 for less than 40K tax-in which I thought was reasonably fair. Most felt that in another 3 years my 2014 911/50 would be worth more than a 2018 R8. R8's are not tough to get which says a lot. So I have decided to keep my car for now. I can always change my mind again. It is interesting that no one said go for it with great enthusiasm.

STG

^^^ Like I said

I think you're making a wise decision. One thing if you didn't have the 50th already. You'd have regrets getting rid of it eventually. Plus having to dish out $40K too

R_Rated

My buddy really has his heart set on a 14/v8/manual. Not in the price range you're looking at but I couldn't find ANY media or online propaganda that says its a better car.... Even found some media with a Boxster spanking a V8/R8 on the track with the same driver.

If you're really attracted to the looks then nothing else matters... but I'm trying to find a single source that leads to the R8 being more fun, faster, more practical, better built, anything.... I guess you have to really like the looks, hate Porsche or be iron man to get one