I placed my order last Friday with my local dealer. No prices, just options.

 

There was a 2-page article on the R8 V-10 in AutoWeek last week. According to it, sales in Europe start in May, with US to follow between 6 and 12 months. The price in Euro is set at 146K, equating to about $186K at prevailing exchange rates, but historically prices in Euro and USD have been about 1-1, so if I had to venture a gues I would say it will start in the $150s...

 

that's great! I signed up to be on the list for the V10 as well, was told it'll be here end of this year. I haven't been asked to submit a formal order yet. This is at McDonald's Audi in Denver, CO. Meanwhile enjoying the V8 just the same.....

 

This is great news for you if you end up getting yours before the end of the year. I am still getting mixed signals from the dealer that sold me the V8. I always wanted the V10, but was told I needed to get the V8 first as it was the V8 owners that would get priority on the V10s. Now I am being told that no one before me has put their orders in, yet I need to put in my order now and hope to get it sometime NEXT year. By then the world will have ended and the trade in value of my V8 will be $50K, while the V10 will cost $180K. No thanks!

 

gigharbor,
Sounds as though your dealer is playing the traditional games.

Dave

 

That's just bogus IMO. Even Ferrari doesn't do that, almost saying owning one is a prerequisite to buy the new one (except the Enzo where I think that owning a Ferrari was indeed a requirement).

If your dealer is implying that there is customer loyalty recognition, then maybe so, every dealer would extend that, especially customers that have dropped $140K and looking to trump that with their next purchase. But to tell you that you get priority over non R8 owners is I think false. If I were to put a deposit down on a V10 and be given a slot, I don't think the dealer will dare call me 2 months later saying I've been bumped 4 slots because later on some R8 V8 owners expressed interest...

Your dealer is just trying create more hype than there really is. Sure the car will be desirable, but in this economy the question is will it be actually 'affordable' to the same clientelle base as in good times. Likely not in the numbers once envisioned, hence why AofA is essentially taking a count by asking people to put themselves on the list without a deposit.

 

Good comments, Dr. Ferdinand. I do think you are on to something regarding whether there truly is any priority/loyalty, but I think it's too hard to tell from the customer's point of view whether they are actually getting the order slot they are being told they are getting. I mean, if you put down some money and order the car because you're the next one up, and you're told that you'll get it in 4 months, and four months goes by and you don't have it, but you see a few others coming in, what can you do?

I think you're right about the artificial hype. I realize that money talks, especially in this environment, so maybe I have to bring in a suitcase full of $100s and ask them again where I am on the wait list....

 

It wasn't just the Enzo, and maybe this isn't apples to apples, but I know plenty of people who were required to conduct business with the Ferrari dealership before they even looked at you in regards to ordering a specialty car - Scuderia, 599, etc). Also the Ferrari dealership always made out on both end, devaluing their trade in and marking up the new car.

ALthough I don't like the drama surrounding the R8 (Audi's suggested "first right of refusal" contract all the way up to this purported "previous owner" clause) I'm happy to see Audi stepping into the supercar territory and starting to act like a real contender for that niche.

 

+1
I don't think I'm the only one out there that was told that existing V8 owners would get priority in ordering the V10...either way, so be it. I am not exactly suffering with the one I have