R8 Spyder ride quality - Dreadful?

[Gordons19]

Hi Guys, just found this forum and am interested in hearing your views. I'm in my 60's but have had a succession of fast cars since I was able to drive. I'm looking to purchase a new car, so decided to try out a few before making a final decision. The first two a Ferrari 430 coupe and a Porsche 997 Turbo were most impressive, but the one I was really looking forward to was the R8 V10 Spyder.

Having had it for two days, I have to say the ride quality is the worst I have experienced in any top end performance car. I've driven it 400 miles and felt every bump in the road. There is absolutely no way I could use it on a daily basis. My wife flatly refuses to get in it any more. Of course that may be a blessing...

The sport settings in the transmission and suspension have not been activated, but it still remains rock hard. To add insult to injury I have just read an article talking about the R8's comfy ride and driving to the South of France. Right now I wouldn't drive this car another mile and feel absolutely gutted.

Before I take this up with the rental company could I ask if this is normal or could there be a fault with the car? Switching to Sport hardens the suspension even further, so I have to assume it is working OK. Of the three cars the 997 Turbo was by far the smoothest and could be used every day without fail.

I would be very grateful for any insights you can provide.

[maegeri]

There is a problem with your car. The R8 with Magnetic Ride is very compliant on irregular roads. Even in track mode, it's tolerable. Why don't you go to a dealership and test drive another one.

[g-force]

hope it isn't my wife will rag on me all through
my upcoming 15 day euro trip. She always
complained about my Lambo twin turbo Gallardo Spider!
She is just a lightweight!

[Gordons19]

Thanks for assuring me. To get a real feel for this car, I hired it for two days. Dealership test drives are normally pretty limited and if I'm spending that amount of money, I want to make sure this is the right car. I'll take it up with the rental company in the morning as I can't believe the ride was so poor.

We've just come back from a 100 mile round trip and I'm really tired, something I have never experienced before. It may well be as a rental car it could have a fault that has not been attended to. I had both the Ferrari and 997 from the same company and they were perfect, so I am surprised with this issue.

[Gordons19]

hope it isn't my wife will rag on me all through
my upcoming 15 day euro trip. She always
complained about my Lambo twin turbo Gallardo Spider!
She is just a lightweight!

That was the next car I was going to try in a week's time.

Maybe I ought to think about an Aston instead.

[willyjp]

If I might inquire: what tires are fitted on the Spyder with the "rough" ride? And have you looked at the inflation pressures at all?

I have noticed, to generalize, that in high performance suspensions with very firm bushings, etc. and running very low aspect ratio tires, tires (and tire pressures) can make a HUGE difference, not just in handling but in ride comfort as well. And there is NOT necessarily an inverse correlation between those 2 qualities.

[sundowner]

Don't say where you are from and therefore, I don't know the condition of your roads. Please add your location to your profile.

I am in my 60's and live in Southwest Florida where the roads are flat and in excellent condition. I always set my Magnetic Ride to Sport Mode and find the ride to be even more comfortable than my Porsche 970. Definitely check the pressure in the tires and see if that makes a difference. If not, I agree with maegeri - test drive a new one at a dealership. I don't think you will be disappointed.

[Gordons19]

I have used this company before and their cars are always turned out to a very high standard, so I would expect the pressures to be correct when I picked the car up. I will check them though in the morning.

The tyres are all Pirelli P Zeros. 235/35 ZR19 on the front and 295/30 ZR19 on the back. All tyres are in good shape.

Edit: Apologies I should have said. I'm in the UK about 30 minutes from Heathrow. Motorway travel is reasonable, but any poor surface in town or on country roads (tarred, not unmade) is uncomfortable at normal town speeds (30-40mph).

[Gordons19]

Just checked the pressures on my own gauge (non calibrated) and they are all around 35lbs psi.

Edit: I suspect they are 36lb psi as that is what I have read on here. I should have had my glasses on.

[KfabR8]

I wonder, and this is a long shot, if the dealership forgot to pull the spring stops out of the car before delivery? The R8 has a great ride with the mag suspension set in the off position. Heck, it's smoother than my '03 RS6 and I've done more than one cross country trip in an R8 with no issues about ride at all.

Something sounds amiss.