AUDI R8 V8 4.2questions (FIRST TIME MEMBER)

[audi2571]

Hi guys (and girls), Im looking to trade in my audi tt 3.2 mkII and looking to stay with audi.. may finally get my dream of owning a r8 depending upon what can be negotiated.. just had a few questions im sure you guys could help with, and even maybe offer some advice.
The car will be mainly for me but my wife will be using it also, due to this i will probably end up getting the r tronic tranmission, and I won't be considering the manual, firstly is the r tronic really that bad?? I hear of weird gear changes and stutterring when moving off in traffic?
I currently have a s tronic gearbox in the tt, which hasn't caused any issues for me except the odd stutter in lower gears at low speed but not often
secondly, what is the residual depreciation like? which holds value better the v8 or the v10??
thirdly, how much does servicing cost and other things required for upkeep?
any common problems with r8's particularly the v8's

I will be eventually taking it for a test drive, but not soon as i have a few months left till i trade up

by the way i live in the UK

[SebringSilver]

The R-tronic will take some getting used to. Don't drive it in Auto mode. Use it like a Manual and you'll like it much more. Even if you come away thinking "it's bloody awful" after your test drive, I'm fairly certain you'll grow to like it more over time. The key is to develop a deft right foot.

Depreciation wise, I'd reckon it's better than a V10, especially if you're buying a pre-owned example. What colour are you thinking of getting?

Oh, and welcome to R8talk.

[freshmeat]

The car will be mainly for me but my wife will be using it also, due to this i will probably end up getting the r tronic tranmission, and I won't be considering the manual, firstly is the r tronic really that bad??

I'm sorry but that has to be the worst consideration factor on getting a sportscar, ever. Keep the TT for your wife and negotiate a deal on an '08-'09 R8 V8 as I think those have depreciated close to their bottom in the current market.

[randombloke]

is the r tronic really that bad?? I hear of weird gear changes and stutterring when moving off in traffic?

it's a robotized version of the standard stick manual box, so unlike a slushbox auto or dsg, there are always going to be longer periods where there is no mechanical connection. That means at very low speeds it can feel a little awkward in auto mode as the box tries to figure the best gear/clutch position. it's best to just take it into your own hands and use manual mode all the time, so you know exactly when it's going to change gear. It's an excellent transmission and really comes into its own when the speed picks up and the road gets interesting. it does take a few weeks to get used to it so you can get the best from it though.

I'm sorry but that has to be the worst consideration factor on getting a sportscar, ever. Keep the TT for your wife

nothing wrong with wanting the car to be accessible to both of them - especially given there is a ready solution to it that delivers benefits of its own.

secondly, what is the residual depreciation like? which holds value better the v8 or the v10??

don't know the answer to this without researching it, but autotrader.co.uk would be my first port of call if I wanted to do that.

[audi2571]

thanks mate, any common issues with the v8's u may know about and how much are servicing costs?
Looking at black v8 with luxor beige interior, but want a white one tbh just they all seem to come in manual instead of auto

[audi2571]

it's a robotized version of the standard stick manual box, so unlike a slushbox auto or dsg, there are always going to be longer periods where there is no mechanical connection. That means at very low speeds it can feel a little awkward in auto mode as the box tries to figure the best gear/clutch position. it's best to just take it into your own hands and use manual mode all the time, so you know exactly when it's going to change gear. It's an excellent transmission and really comes into its own when the speed picks up and the road gets interesting. it does take a few weeks to get used to it so you can get the best from it though.



nothing wrong with wanting the car to be accessible to both of them - especially given there is a ready solution to it that delivers benefits of its own.



don't know the answer to this without researching it, but autotrader.co.uk would be my first port of call if I wanted to do that.

Thanks for the reply, how much quicker than most cars on the road is the v8.. have a friend who has a 335i coupe and says that his car as its mapped and the new m3 would be alot quicker than spending 50 grand on the r8.. any truth in that...
tbh honest i like the speed but prefer the looks as nothing comes close

[randombloke]

the only things that come to mind are checking it's had things like the fuel filler cap lead changed and the r-tronic has had the software updates as that improved things quite a bit. rattles in the dash and noise from the window seals is another thing you could check. if you're buying one with a lot of miles on it, you could ask the dealer to check the clutch wear being reported by the r-tronic.

when I had my v8 I had it on an audi service plan where I paid £25 a month over 3 years and it covered the servicing costs. my notes show that at the time (2008) the services were £425 minor and £600 major. you get to choose how to do the servicing, either longlife where the car tells you when it needs doing or fixed where it's the lesser of every 10k miles / 12 months.

[randombloke]

Thanks for the reply, how much quicker than most cars on the road is the v8.. have a friend who has a 335i coupe and says that his car as its mapped and the new m3 would be alot quicker than spending 50 grand on the r8.. any truth in that...
tbh honest i like the speed but prefer the looks as nothing comes close

you do need to be careful if you want to do traffic light pulls as there are a lot of "normal" cars out there that can match it in a straight line. The v8 m3 has the same power output and is very close in straight line performance (seen videos go both ways). the r8 comes alive when things get twisty, especially with the speed and surety of the r-tronic transmission, the very sweet handling and quattro grip.

there is more to the r8 than performance though, and your mates bmw's are still just hot versions of everyday cars. The r8 looks and feels special. I've been driving them for 3 1/2 years and it still brings a smile to my face when I drive it and when I see others on the road (which is very rare here in wales). The v8 sounds glorious too - and if you don't want to go aftermarket with the exhaust, you can spend half and hour and disconnect the valves to get a bit more throaty sound out of it under 4k rpm.

[audi2571]

you do need to be careful if you want to do traffic light pulls as there are a lot of "normal" cars out there that can match it in a straight line. The v8 m3 has the same power output and is very close in straight line performance (seen videos go both ways). the r8 comes alive when things get twisty, especially with the speed and surety of the r-tronic transmission, the very sweet handling and quattro grip.

there is more to the r8 than performance though, and your mates bmw's are still just hot versions of everyday cars. The r8 looks and feels special. I've been driving them for 3 1/2 years and it still brings a smile to my face when I drive it and when I see others on the road (which is very rare here in wales). The v8 sounds glorious too - and if you don't want to go aftermarket with the exhaust, you can spend half and hour and disconnect the valves to get a bit more throaty sound out of it under 4k rpm.

cheers for the info randombloke.. i see you had the pleasure of driving both. Thats the point my mate was trying to make, why spend 50k on a r8 when a m3 can do the job for 10k less or more. My answer is the r8 is amazing looking and NOT very common!
I do alot or urban driving which is another reason i liked the r8 as its great from what i hear to drive daily anywhere! the mpg urban really accurate as audi says 14mpg on the v8, but im thinking 11 personally, what did u get on yours?

[randombloke]

Thats the point my mate was trying to make, why spend 50k on a r8 when a m3 can do the job for 10k less or more.

depends on the definition of "do the job". Buying cars on the basis of "top trumps" is rarely smart in the real world.

even on fast, twisty runs I was seeing around 16-17mpg from the v8.