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Audi R8

Well I got to see a R8 today. St. Pete car show was fantastic. Highlight was a red Gallardo spyder.

I went to see the R8 since NSX seems to be M.I.A.
R8 is a nice car, but no more exotic looking than a 350Z. I was hoping that the car looked better in person than in photos.

It just looks like a 350Z with the engine in back. No exotic feel, I also like to watch the crowds, and the R8 wasn't getting more than a glace as people walked by. It blended in with a bunch of new Audis that the dealer brought to the show.

Plenty of photos posted on F-chat in Flordia Section and Lambo section.
 
Yesterday was the first time I've seen this car in person at the St. Pete show and NSXBat was right... not a real head-turner. What caught my attention was the mid mounted engine. When I got home and checked it out online I was pretty impressed with the stats. Definitely has a lot of the features NSX owners are looking for in their next exotic car.

Even though it had the Audi logo all over it, I couldn't but think that it still looks like a 350Z, although bigger. Must be the sideblades that do it. I heard that they may offer a removable roof in 2008. Nice.
 
rickysals said:
People talk alot of shit about a car that noone here has driven...
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I don't see anyone talking badly about the car. It's just not an NSX replacement. It's true though when I saw it at the NAIAS there weren't any crowds around the R8 both times that I went. It was well placed though. Maybe it's because the car was silver.

Of course since you like it crowds of people looking at it doesn't matter anyway. At the end of the day since you paid for it your the one who has to be pleased.
 
WingZ said:
I don't see anyone talking badly about the car. It's just not an NSX replacement. It's true though when I saw it at the NAIAS there weren't any crowds around the R8 both times that I went. It was well placed though. Maybe it's because the car was silver.

Of course since you like it crowds of people looking at it doesn't matter anyway. At the end of the day since you paid for it your the one who has to be pleased.
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From an amateur's perspective, it seems like Audi is shooting themselves in the foot by marketing the car in (understated) silver. Paint it red, call it FERRARI 4WD and be done with it! :cool:
 
R8 looks really cool IMO...nice mix of modern and futuristic sports car concept unlike the ASC which does not incorporate anything that's currently considered attractive in a car. The engine layout looks very attractive as well...ferrari esque. Sound seems to be pretty good, too...very NSXish :) The only downside is that it seems to be somewhat slow for the $110k tag or whatever. I was browsing through car mags and it's slower than an 911 carrera which kinda sucks. It really should have come with 500hp.
 
ak said:
R8 looks really cool IMO...nice mix of modern and futuristic sports car concept unlike the ASC which does not incorporate anything that's currently considered attractive in a car. The engine layout looks very attractive as well...ferrari esque. Sound seems to be pretty good, too...very NSXish :) The only downside is that it seems to be somewhat slow for the $110k tag or whatever. I was browsing through car mags and it's slower than an 911 carrera which kinda sucks. It really should have come with 500hp.
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I believe that article included the F430 as well. That article really made both the Carrera and the R8 seem significantly inferior to the F430 and showed how the F430 is on a different level.

IIRC the R8 did get the nod in best stopping distance over all of them but was nearly identical to the Carrera in every category and both were notably slower than the F430.

I'm sorry, but for $110K+ the car needs to outperform a $70K Carrera. :rolleyes: Remember, for $10K more the 997 TT awaits.

They'll sell 1000 units in the US. That's not hard to do. I think the convertible is a great idea and the eventual V-10 are musts, at least as an option, especially if they ever want to sell more than 1000 units here.
 
AutoVation said:
Some items to note:
  • Audi plans to sell about 1000 R8s per year in the U.S.
  • From C&D: Given that we were able to run the 0-to-60-mph sprint in 4.6 seconds in the like-engined RS 4 that weighs 17 percent more, Audi's claim seems quite conservative. We think a time of 4.3 seconds is a better guess.
  • About a year later, the 5.2-liter V-10 from the S6 and S8 will be available, with output nearing 500 hp. This or the diesel V12 w/600hp.
  • A convertible version is on the way in 2009
  • FWIW, the entire allotment for England is already sold out.

The NSX lost Honda a ton of money when you consider the program by itself. As a marketing tool it was a success but as a standalone program it was not profitable.
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The numbers shouldn't be conservative. The weight is similar to Gallardo but with less HP, the 0-60 is also similar to Gallardo Spider, which means with the peddle shift, it will not perform as well as standard stick shift.

If they don't sale more than 1000 cars a year, what's the point for updating the car with V10? It will only drive the MSRP up, which "could alienate addictional buyers. That is after couple of years of introduction, and most people who wanted that car will most likely loose interest all together.
 
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I had the opportunity to see the R8 in real life last Monday on the Dutch AutoRAI 2007. You couldn't come close though so one could only see the exterior.
The R8 looks very impressive in real life, it's stance is quite agressive. Much more so than the Audi TT even though both cars share a lot of design elements in my opinion.
Compared to the NSX the R8 is a much bigger looking car, probably because of it's typical big Audi front.
Maybe I should not but I keep comparing in to the NSX because the R8 and the NSX have so many things in common, both in their design philosopy as well as the statement that Audi is trying to make with the R8. And I keep being surprised on just how little a NSX would need in modifications to get it on an equal level to the R8 performance wise.
 
Is it just me, or does anyone else here think that the R8 would look cool with a big rear wing?
I'm not usually into wings, either.
 
I really like the R8. But to me it is $20k more than it should be. When it is touching $120-130k, there are many many competitors. My eyes start drifting towards the future used Ford GT again. If Honda made the R8 at $100k, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
Steve
 
I am surprised that some of you have seen the car in person and are not impressed. The car is stunning in person and has much more presence than a 911. Photos do not do it justice.
 
NetViper said:
One more thought.

For those of you putting this car down, I have a good feeling if it had a HONDA badge on it and it was called NSX, 95% of you would be thrilled and in line to get one. It is a HELL of a lot better than that POS ASSC.

Just my opinion.
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Yup. you're right. I just keep thinking if Audi can get everyone excited about the R8 Honda should be able to do something equally cool!
 
3875.jpg

On the test track...

3871.jpg

Whats all this smoke ??

11951_KVSUYMEOWJOHX.jpg

Ohh its just on fire !

3873.jpg


"With just hours to go on the last test day, the worst thing happened to the Audi test team working on the prototype for the V-10 version of Audi's R8 supercar.

Just coming into the Brünnchen part of the Nürburgring, this million euro Audi RS8 prototype caught fire and burned up. There's not much left of this super-fast super car with a V-10 engine. The only thing revealing that it was the RS8 are the wheels and the mid-engine layout. Just the roll bar survived the fire, leaving a skeleton of remains.

The fire was probably started by an electrical problem. But most important, the driver didn't get hurt, according to our information.

Audi still is planning the 500-hp, V-10 version of the R8 for a 2009 model year launch."
 
TC said:
Why do you think it will be $50k in 3 years? You can't buy a 4 year old RS6 for $50k. You must be thinking that it will be a sales dude.
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That's chiefly due to extremely limited production and the R8 will also benefit from that. If the reports of only 1000 units shipping to the US are true the R8 will most definitely command a high premium and will hold it's value quite well just as the Ford GT has as a limited run. The RS6 was actually a much more inherently desirable platform, wasn't underpowered and looked good. Audi dropped the ball on that one also not bringing many more than 2,000 units to the US. I find it very hard to believe they couldn't have moved many, many more than ~2,000 units. :confused:

My opinion is that it's a catch-22 for Audi and there's no way they can make any real profit on this project. Selling only 1000 cars simply won't get you there and if they tried shipping 10,000 cars they wouldn't be able to move them off the lots after everyone realizes they're spending $50K more than the RS4 and getting essentially the same car with slightly better brakes and balance in a TT's body.

You might be able to find 1,000 suckers but not 10,000. Only the introduction of the V-10 RS8, if they even build one, will salvage this project.

I don't think the R8 is a bad car. I think it looks above average and will be very fun to drive. I do think it's a poor value compared to a 997 TT.

And as far as it being the closest thing to an HSC I'm not sure about that. I don't think the R8 was built with the same philosophy as the NSX. It's MR but that's basically where it stops. The R8 has about as much in common with the NSX as the MR2. I would have to say the F430 is, strictly speaking, probably the closest thing to an NSX. I would even say the Elise is probably more similar to the NSX than the R8. Track developed and exotic at least--neither of which can be said for the R8.

JMHO.
 
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NSXGMS said:
If the reports of only 1000 units shipping to the US are true the R8 will most definitely command a high premium and will hold it's value quite well just as the Ford GT has as a limited run.

My opinion is that it's a catch-22 for Audi and there's no way they can make any real profit on this project. Selling only 1000 cars simply won't get you there and if they tried shipping 10,000 cars they wouldn't be able to move them off the lots after everyone realizes they're spending $50K more than the RS4 and getting essentially the same car with slightly better brakes and balance in a TT's body.

You might be able to find 1,000 suckers but not 10,000. Only the introduction of the V-10 RS8, if they even build one, will salvage this project.
JMHO.
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The Audi website says that R8 production is set at 15 cars per day, which is 3,500 cars annually. You're probably right - 1000 will come to the US, which leaves 2000 for Europe and 500 for the rest of the world. At $100k per unit (factory to dealer price), that's $350m in annual revenue - that should be enough to make the R8 profitable, especially with component sharing with the RS4 and Gallardo.

I think the R8 fills a great niche in the market - people who want an exotic with everyday useability and max HP and speed aren't top buying factors. The 911 TT is a great car but the styling doesn't excite everyone. The F430 is spectacular but unattainable for most. The R8 has the same kind of sensibilities as the NSX, IMO. Reading the car mag reviews of the car - one could easily substitute NSX for R8 and Honda for Audi and I think 90% of NSX owners would be satisfied.
 
I saw this cat today at the NY Auto Show and it looks much nicer in person. It is a nice looking car and if it had a Acura emblem on it I would not hesitate to buy one and who knows I may buy one anyway. It is a very nice looking package. This had carbon fiber strikes on the side and a beautiful jewelry box Ferrari360/430 engine compartment. Very sharp looking car.

I don't want to be so old that my kids take away my license by the time Acura make a new sports car that isn't out of clay.

Paddle shifters on the RDX SUV. Whoopee do.:rolleyes:
 

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