Buying an R8 soon, had some questions to ask

[uracowman]

Greetings folks

I am in the market to purchase a second hand R8 very soon and had some questions to ask.

1) I am sure this question has been addressed quite a bit, but what is the TRUE cost of ownership for the vehicle? Online calculators estimate the true cost of ownership to be about $22,000 a year, but I feel this is incorrect. I am stating this because I have been quoted insurance that is lower than what the calculator estimated it to be and depreciation seems to be a bit off.

In case you are wondering, I am planning on using this for daily driving and leisure with an estimated target yearly mileage of around 10,000~.

2) I am in the market for a R-tronic transmission version of the vehicle due to the convenience of putting the vehicle in automatic when needed. This brings up the issue of general maintenance. What type of maintenance costs can I expect on a yearly basis, included potential misfortunes such as the clutch going out and such?

3) Is there anything to look for or avoid when shopping for a second hand R8?

[NVRL8R8]

Please include your location in your profile. This was supposedly meant to be mandatory as any new member registers.

[uracowman]

Please include your location in your profile. This was supposedly meant to be mandatory as any new member registers.

just updated

[Miwa]

$22k a year? That must include depreciation? First 4 years all you should have to pay for is gas and tires (and brakes), none of which is much more than any other luxury German car. There are people who have had the clutch done, but the cost of that is going to depend on how much shop time costs at your dealer.

I don't expect the R8 to cost me much more than the RS4 did. Audicare is good, and the R8 is a spectacular daily driver.

[uracowman]

$22k a year? That must include depreciation? First 4 years all you should have to pay for is gas and tires (and brakes), none of which is much more than any other luxury German car. There are people who have had the clutch done, but the cost of that is going to depend on how much shop time costs at your dealer.

I don't expect the R8 to cost me much more than the RS4 did. Audicare is good, and the R8 is a spectacular daily driver.

that is including depreciation.

[rawg]

Never thought about the cost of depreciation myself; just plunked the cash and let it rip. I got mine at 27000 miles and it's added 5 grand more ever since and I've yet to pay for any mechanical/electrical issue that hasn't appeared. Very reliable R-tronic on mine too.In hindsight I'd have waited for newer R8s (used) that have the iPhone sync ability (mine has none, not even the aux port).

[uracowman]

Never thought about the cost of depreciation myself; just plunked the cash and let it rip. I got mine at 27000 miles and it's added 5 grand more ever since and I've yet to pay for any mechanical/electrical issue that hasn't appeared. Very reliable R-tronic on mine too.In hindsight I'd have waited for newer R8s (used) that have the iPhone sync ability (mine has none, not even the aux port).

Do you mind what I ask what you paid for it compared to what it was listed for at the time of sale? The only reason why I ask is so I can gauge how soft the dealer will be once numbers are being negotiated.

For instance, I checked out this 2008 R-tronic with 15k on the clock last week.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national

When inspecting it in person, the only options the vehicle had were the carbon sigma body pieces, navigation and convenience package w/ rear camera. It did not have the bi-xenon headlight option (deal breaker for me) and it didn't have the upgraded B&O sound system.

They have the vehicle listed at just under $100,000 and according to the salesman, they won't consider knocking off more than two to three thousand. Does this seem realistic? Personally, I am a person who always searches for the best deal and I find it hard to believe how a dealer can be that rock hard about a price considering the price tag of the vehicle.

[zondar]

I figure that today's cost of owning a new R8 to be at least $20k per year amortized over 2-4 years, and probably more.

Depreciation is the biggest hit. On a new R8, you had better plan on $25-35k for the first year (here in CA, half that is taxes alone), and maybe more. The depreciation on a used car will be less, maybe much less if you are lucky.

The "luck" part of depreciation is that the market is fickle. When selling, you only get what a buyer will pay. Period.

Taxes, registration, insurance, tires, service, etc., would add a few thousand depending on where you live and how much you drive. These are relatively fixed or predictable costs that you can plan on and have to pay year by year.

On the other hand, I tend to think that first-gen R8's will retain a certain status, and will hold values much better than most other cars. Heck, store one in your barn, and 25-50 years from now it could be quite a find!

Cheers.

[zondar]

By the way, you should be wary of tales of people who "made out well". Not because they are willfully dishonest, just that they are subject to human nature. Excluding all those on this board, of course.

Remember the "Beardstown Ladies"? They were an investment group of cute little-old ladies who made a bundle in the stock market and wrote a book about their home-spun wisdom. They made out very well indeed, until their results were audited. Then it became clear that their out-sized results were due to counting their own contributions as "profit".

People who "made out well" may be neglecting the $14,000 in taxes they paid, interest on their loans or leases, all those expensive upgrades they made (money they didn't get back), etc., or even that extra $30,000 they paid as added dealer markup.

The safest thing to do is to expect R8's to experience costs in line with most other similar cars.

Cheers.

[KfabR8]

When inspecting it in person, the only options the vehicle had were the carbon sigma body pieces, navigation and convenience package w/ rear camera. It did not have the bi-xenon headlight option (deal breaker for me) and it didn't have the upgraded B&O sound system.

Uhm... I believe that that was a stock system. The LED lights didn't come around until 2009 if I recall correctly.