Hi All,
does the R8 give P owners/drivers food for thought or is it considerd here as just another challenger that will fall by the waistline in due course like - the Aston V8, BMW M6; M5; M3, Noble M12, TVR Tuscan, Corvette ZO6 etc etc etc.

It seems to be gathering friends in the usual 'motoring' press & programs - Tiff from 5th Gear liked it, AutoExpress rave about it etc...see links below

http://www.vidly.net/video-tiff-need...est-drive.html

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carrevi..._v_rivals.html

 

I don't think this forum has been overly impressed, although initially I considered ordering one. But when I saw the non-marketing pictures that Dro posted, the decision against the R8 was easy: it's ugly. For various opinions, see:

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-forum/337975-audi-r8-is-it-just-me.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-forum/339538-sat-in-an-r8-today.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-forum/340922-r8-pricing-released.html

 

I see your point, class CANNOT be acquired overnight and the 911 is truely a class act thus to de-throne the iconic 911 takes more than BIG BHP/Lower Price etc

My only complaint about the 911 is that it is increasingly becoming common on the roads (certainly here in London) and thus takes away that 'special' feeling.

 

Oh, I agree, London and downtown Hamburg are bad. So are some places in the US (we had a few threads on that). Well, I guess you guys need to move to northwest Louisiana... I see another Porsche maybe every two to three weeks, usually a Boxster and hardly ever a 997 (haven't seen one in several months). Right now, of course, I am in Southeast Asia and haven't encountered a Porsche since I got here. But tons of tuk-tuks...

 

Now that Porsche has control status of VW, I doubt Porsche will further let the R8 to become a direct 911 threat for long...

Regards,

 

The R8 is a good move if you do a 3-year lease... Owning it after that will after its 15 min of fame.

I would drive one, but there's this little thing called the Aston Martin V8 Vantage for similar money. And the Vantage is 1000x sexier.

 

I would not trade my 911 for an R8, but having seen one in person,
I think the car is ten-times more attractive on the road than in photos.
Audi will sell all they can make. And, I agree the Aston-Martin Vantage is beautiful.
I need a bigger garage...oh, and a major lotto win.

 

the motor is what many will lust for, more-so than its shape. ask me how i know!

i don't think it's job is to dethrone a 911 but rather to offer a new two-door design coupled with an insane v8 engine for those who want something different than the common Porsche.

i think many here would be very interested in the car if it appeared at the valet.

the R8 is a beast.

nice job, Audi

 

Audi should have dropped the V10 in it from the get go. I have seen the R8 in person and photos don't do it justice - it's very nice. As stated in the vid, it is competing against the C4S. I think it needs to compete against the turbo, considering the way Audi is marketing it.

Porsche enthusiasts are Porsche enthusiasts - for most of us it started when we first saw a 911 as a child or teenager. To sway us away a company needs a major product. The R8 is good, and there are a few of the uninitiated that will probably pull the trigger. But, as we've heard before, for many of us "there is no substitute."

 

Hmm, not so sure about that IMO.

I have been a stern critique of the 997 having owned a 996 and gone back to a 993. However, the 997 C4S in cab form 'moves and stirs my emotions' at each sighting...rare though the 997 C4S is even in London, not so much any other 997 variant.

I am on the market to add to the 993 and am looking for 'something' special. Ruled out Am V8 Vantage; 360 Spider; Gallardo - but the R8 is interesting for me. I have a viewing booked on the 3rd of June and a test drive scheduled for 20th June.

I will be test driving the 997 C4S in cab form directly after the R8 V8 and will make a decision thereafter. Right now my heart says 997 C4S ‘BUT’, and it s a biggie, the mind says R8 because it will be more exclusive and may have that ‘special’ feeling – I guess abit of an ergo boast whenever driven etc.

I am not too sure about comments relating to the R8 being just an Audi. Let’s face it, Lamborghini were making tractors before moving into sports cars.

Imagine how the marketing guys felt when they walked in to work one day and the boss, Ferruccio Lamborghini, told his marketing guys to sell the first Lamborghini sports cars – brands can be built in time.

Now, who here on this forum would say no to any variant of a Lamborghini – no, not the tractor but the Sports car!

For Lamborghini history, see http://www.lambostuff.com/xq/asp/Pag...amborghini.htm

 

I would say no to a Lambo. To flashy for may taste and a very poor racing history.

 

I love Audi (owned 3 so far), so to be "just an Audi" wouldn't be an admonishment in my book. I just think it was styled for the time, not timelessly styled. There are reasons a Porsche 911, Ferrari 360, even an E39 M5 will all look good in 25 years - the bottom line is that the R8 will look dated like a DeLorean looks dated today. That said, it still looks like a great car and I'd definitely lease one for a few years.

 

"just an audi?" funny.....when i drove the 997 no one had anything to say about it......with the RS4 it's a whole different story.....you should see and hear the valet attendants reactions when pulling up to them. further, i've seen some drivers actually pull up to the car to check it out. nuts.

it's definitely not just an audi.

 

I agree 100% - I am trying to figure out how to get an RS4 as my DD...

 

I'm assuming you mean "fall by the wayside". http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fall+by+the+wayside