No more carbon for Canada??!!

[jlips]

hey guys...

new to the site...want to share my experience so far far trying to get an R8.
i live in toronto and have been drooling over this car for years. actually got to drive one the other day which only served to raise my already heightened level of excitement. its increadible. dont listen to anyone who says otherwise; they either havent driven the thing or try to use some hackneyed price/value equation based on horsepower, torque, etc. just drive it and youll know what all the fuss is about. its beginning to sound like a cliche but the thing just feels special...its an intangible quality, a combination of factors, that really must be experienced to be fully understood.

anyway, enough ranting....

the reason im posting here is that ive had a frustrating experience getting details on the car. ill leave the dealership unnamed as theyve been as accomodating as possible; they just dont know certain things that i feel should be known.

the latest news from my dealer is that there is NO MORE CARBON FIBRE option!!!! no reason why, they just say its, 'not avalable'. this includes sideblades, interior and engine bay!! WTF! this is obviously the most popular choice and frankly i dont want the car if i cant have carbon. might seem fussy, but when youre spending this kind of dough on a vehicle i feel you should be able to get the **** thing the way you want it. and for audi to show carbon, to deliver carbon, only to suddenly have it cancelled as an option, is bloody ridiculous.

also, any american complaining about price, WAKE UP! our dollar (CND) is even with the ole' yank buck (as of today a cent above!) and yet the car lists at 109 USD and 139 CND! lets not even mention what the brits have to drop to get in this fabulous toy :-)

anyway hello to all...curious about your carbon situation.

[hmp10]

An "incredible" car that drives you to a "heightened level of excitement" . . . but you won't buy one because you can't get the cosmetic finishes you want on a few components?

Someone posted elsewhere on this thread that the limited supply of carbon fiber has dried up because of some priority needs for it in the European aerospace industry. If that's the case, then this isn't Audi's fault. Given the prices they were charging for CF pieces, I cannot imagine they would not sell them if they could get them.

[offroad911]

The CF Side Blades, CF Engine Trim and CF Interior Trim are available on the aftermarket and are also available thru the Audi parts system, albiet at a significant premium compared to the order guide price.

I have ordered and received the CF Engine trim and CF Interior trim thru the Audi parts system in advance of my R8's arrival which should be the 16th Oct. My R8 was built with CF Side Blades. I agree that the R8 really needs these CF touches and at the very least should be offered thru the parts system as retrofit, however that is not the current situation.

[jlips]

i hear ya HMP10...i agree it should not be a 'make or break' thing but its hard to spend that kind of dough on something and not have it exactly how you want. its my first significant auto purchase and i want it to be 'perfect' :-)

as for charges for carbon, what did you have to pay? my understanding was the sideblades came at no extra charge...what did you pay for interior/engine carbon?

[hmp10]

As I thought more about this issue, I did a google search for "carbon fiber shortage". It does appear that the demand has been outstripping the supply for at least two years now, driven largely by elevated consumption by the global aerospace industry. While suppliers have expanded their capacity, the rapidly rising use of the material in aircraft and military equipment production continues to soar.

Some companies are developing a fiberglass-based alternative for non-structural applications that has a carbon fiber look. Maybe that will show up on the Audi parts aftermarket at some point.

[GR8]

Hi jlips, I have carbon sideblades and interior trims on order. Didnt go for the engine bay stuff tho' regret it now. Carbon was not "free" in UK. a pair of carbon sideblades cost £1500. Carbon interior trim was £1650. Not exactly cheap!
Rumours were that including carbon on UK orders more recently meant a delay in delivery. My car is due in 4 or 5 weeks, having ordered it Mar 06 and seems to be on schedule. Interesting to see carbon is in worldwide shortage.

[OEMplus.com]

Just found this site, it's great to see some many owners and potential owners together...

The CF Side Blades, CF Engine Trim and CF Interior Trim are available on the aftermarket...

When you say aftermarket, what do you mean? Copy-cat products or tuners selling the real thing?

I was on Fourtitude and saw a press release, which led me to the R8.OEMpl.us site. They have all three of the packages listed on their site and it looks like they might have inventory... ?

[randombloke]

Doesn't look too hopeful for availability:

Notes:
- Special order only. Please expect 3-5 weeks lead time.
- Availability is restricted by Audi AG. Please inquire before purchasing.

[OEMplus.com]

I just called them and they'll have one set of each coming next week!

[offroad911]

as for charges for carbon, what did you have to pay? my understanding was the sideblades came at no extra charge...what did you pay for interior/engine carbon?

CF Side Blades is a $2,000.00 option on the US R8 Order Guide. I have not paid for the engine or interior CF components ordered and received by the dealer parts department, consequentily I can't answer your question regarding price except to tell you that both packages are in the $8,000 range. I also ordered a full set of factory wheels and expect my total tab to be in the $10K range.