Why did you guys choose an R8?

[7800rpm]

Hey there!

I am a new member and will be a future R8 owner. I am just curious, why did you guys choose the R8 over its competitors like the 911 or the V8 Vantage. I love the R8 but I am just wondering, what did the R8 have that the others lacked?

[Davey_Dee]

I had never heard of an R8 before i saw one parked up. As soon as i saw it i had to take a look at what it was, once i did this i looked it up on the internet the same day. I fell in love with it seeing the pictures and reading reviews. I chose this over other cars because to me it is the best looking car available (others may not agree) and because i'll be a new driver the fact that EVERYBODY says how well the R8 handles and that it is safer to driver than most cars i decided i'll get it.

[Conker]

Do exactly what I did - take the 911 , V8 Vantage and R8 for an extended test drive and then make your mind up.
I had a completely open mind ,save for tending to prefer the Aston styling ,but for me there was absolutely no category (performance ,handling , comfort ,build quality) in which for me the R8 didn't come out top

Correction - the Vantage does have the best exhaust note

[RS4Cab]

Correction - the Vantage does have the best exhaust note

Stasis exhaust will fix that. Only other car I looked at was the 911 turbo. Was not comfortable to drive with it's tiny seats. Plus you see 911's everywhere, Have yet to see another R8 on the road or any shows I go to

[harrison]

Back in school I got attention by being the class clown...Now I get more than enough attention with the R8. People around me are used to me having wild rides. But the R 8 has put me in a much nicer league.Thank you Audi for helping me stay on my game.

[Dan1]

I test drove a friends Vanquish, a dealers V8 Vantage, I have a 911 Carrera 4, and an 2002 NSX.
I have driven the 911 turbo, and the new 2009 Carrera S.

Compared to the 911 the R8 rides better, "feels" like it offers more grip, has way way more room on the inside, (for the people not luggage) does not "roll" as much, just has better suspension. I have some Ohlins coming for my 911. I already have Ohlins on the NSX.

The R8 is faster then my Carrera 4, slower than the Turbo, much quieter then either. The R8 shifts better than the Porsche manual, my R8 is a manual.
The new 2009 Porsche with the double clutch paddles was excellent, if that trans was avaliable for the R8 I would have gotten it.

And I think the R8 looks better.

The Porsche is not as wide and is easier to park.

[randombloke]

Sound, looks, handling with usable power, awd, sequential manual transmission, service network and rarity were the main factors for me.

The 997tt didn't float my boat outside of 10/10ths driving but was the only other real competitor that I whittled it down.

Right now I'm thinking about what I'll change to down the line, but struggling to come up with anything. The v8 isn't lacking in power for the roads I drive on so the V10 is hard to justify as I prefer the sound of the v8. I generally prefer bmw's, but they've got nothing close to the r8.

I'm tempted to give the nissan gt-r a try to see if it's worth keeping that in the mix.

I'll also consider the maser gts and jag xkr to see if going with more of a gt is workable, but I'm thinking the r8 might have spoiled me for that.

[ianerrid]

Hey there!

I am a new member and will be a future R8 owner. I am just curious, why did you guys choose the R8 over its competitors like the 911 or the V8 Vantage. I love the R8 but I am just wondering, what did the R8 have that the others lacked?

Because the R8 is car porn. My wife saw it once on the road and told me I had to buy one.

[Garyhun]

I'm replacing my car in August. Was looking at Aston Vantage, Maserati GranTurismo and R8. 2 says ago I saw one opposite the bar I go to in the colour combo I want and it looked absolutely stunning. Decision made on the spot.

[dailydriver]

I was looking to replace my XKR next year and wanted a great everyday car and also something I can take to the track. The 2010 XKR (5 liter, 500+ HP, much better brakes) seemed like a good candidate since I like my current car and I love the Aston Martin-like styling. The 2010 E63 AMG seemed interesting too since I loved the E55 I used to own and MB is giving the E class a refresh next year.

I also drove a friends '08 BMW M5 on the track and liked the car a lot but the sedan thing seemed to lean too much toward practicality and less fun on the track. I also drove two R8s before pulling the trigger - one 6 speed and the other had the R-tronic. In the end it had as much to do with "thrill factor" - the R8 gives you a grin walking up to it and only gets wider when you're behind the wheel.