Picked up my R8 2010 a month ago and it is by far one of the most comfortable daily drivers out there. The flywheel is a little light so you will have to switch gears fast but other than that its the most livable supercar that I've ever driven.

In terms of pricing you arent going to have much like. These cars retain their value like crazy. I ended up getting my 2010 V10 for $140K with 2K miles on it, but it's also Audi CPO so warranty is good for 100k miles or 5 years. Since I put 65,000 on my 997TT it was important that the car was covered (Started running into issues with the 997TT after 53K miles).

Its a car that draws you in for sure. I had no intention of getting it and went through every car you could imagine thinking of what to get next: M3, Panamera, Cayenne, Range Rover, then I happened upon this one at the show room.

Came back a couple days later and test drove it.The second they fired it up and I saw its backside pulling out of the showroom I was in love.

But its surprising how livable it is. So much so that the euphoria of having it wears off so quickly because its just so simple. Well that is until you floor it or you get out of it and look at it as you walk away.

Definitely best supercar value in terms of total package.

Oh yeah right, glowing review aside, the car retains its value so you aren't going to have too much luck finding one outside the regular price range. Could be a product of low numbers in the states but I was surprised myself given how much value a 997TT loses in its first 1-2 years vs what the R8 loses.

On the bright side if you pick one up I doubt you'll have any regrets.

 

Pictures please, what options did the car come with?

 

No carbon bits, black with black panels. Red interior, all of the major goodies, though I think most of that is standard on the V10.

Shadow five spoke rims.

Unfortunately Im away for work upstate so this is what I've been dealing with the last month.

I guess that answers the question of whether or not its a daily driver for me.

 

I notice you're a PCA instructor. Have you taken the R8 to the track yet, or have you driven one there? What are your thoughts? Any downsides such as over-heating issues; brake fade, etc?

TIA,
Bish

 

Just picked it up a month ago. I dont think I'll do much track on it, have the track Lotus for that. I'd probably destroy the street tires in a day.

I might do a session just to get a feel for the power and everything else.

Havent seen too many R8s tracked, just one, but it was another instructor who did like the car, but I didnt really discuss it with him as it was a couple of years back.

Also depends on your skill level.

Certainly a fine car for beginners and novices to learn with except for the ridiculous amounts of power.

 

I don't think he is a novice.

 

Gotcha, well its a heavy car with a non-adjustable suspension. It'll do ok, but its not a track car.

I cant take any production vehicle seriously for the track after the Lotus Exige. Now if the Exige just had a bit more power.

 

I'm used to (recently) a modified GT-R with about 500hp/500lb ft to the wheels that was a 50%/50% street/track vehicle, and currently a MB CLK BS. I need a 100% track car like a Radical, but don't have room for either it and/or the trailer, hence continue to 'make do' with the compromises inherent in a street car used at a road course.

Bish

 

I was in the same boat with the Turbo, 500hp and bunch of suspension mods. But I just didnt feel connected to the car.

Test drove an Exige specifically to act as my track car and loved it.

After getting it on track I realized how much more difficult it was to become a better driver in the turbo. Everything is muted, hard to feel, control, its like driving with a delay.

In terms of TT vs R8 I think the R8 will be a bit more planted, its wider, its lower, it definitely has more linear power delivery without the turbos. Thats the most amazing thing, I completely forgot what 500hp without a turbo feels like.

But at the end of the day the R8 on the track would be a novelty kind of thing for me. I'd still switch back to the Lotus because if have an off I wont be crying about it for a week. Just duct tape it and get it back on the track.

Get a used Exige and beat the hell out of it, you'll have tons of fun and I'm sure you can find some space to park it, its pretty tiny.

 

I'm going to continue this thread derailment, here...

What about an Elise?

 

Hey threads on point - R8 used prices are staying high for a while, its a great car, go for the V10 you wont regret it.

Lol, now for the derailment.

The Elise is the same platform essentially, but you have less power which is noticeable. You will definitely miss it and at some point you'll end up throwing in a supercharger, might as well just start off with one in the ExigeS.

I think looks wise the Exige is 100x better than the Elise and certainly more rare so it holds its value better if you are interested in resale later on.

Also I dont recall if the Elise came with the track pack, which is the bilstein adjustable suspension, so again, you'll end up throwing a few bucks in to replace that as well.

Just overall if you plan to track regularly the Exige is a better platform.

The good news is of course there are a ton of parts, they are relatively cheap so you can just as easily take a well priced Elise thats selling for cheap and completely work it into a track monster.

Get the car up to 260-280hp, get a solid suspension in there, and some slicks, and there won't be too many cars keeping up with you.

The Exige is better for me because I wanted to keep the car's suspension mostly stock except for reinforcing it because I want it to lean and roll a bit more to work on weight transfer. If the car is too stiff it'll snap with less warning, so I like just the way it is.

Anytime I feel the urge to get more hp, I just remind myself to go faster in the turns. Definitely forces you to work for it, but its very rewarding because you can squeeze so much out of the car.

I think its the best platform to learn on.

Not to mention your consumables get 2x the life span because the car is so light. I get 14-16 days from tires, great life from the rotors, the pads are ok, but half price compared to Porsche anyway.

There are some bits you need to reinforce right away:
radiator needs to be replaced, cracked mine on the track
oil pan and gas tank with baffled ones
Also make sure to secure the battery, the thing will always get loose and bang up the rear clam.

But honestly a great car.

BTW just to get back on point with the R8 conversation the car that the Exige reminded me the most of in terms of feel was the Gallardo, so thats right on point with the R8.

Oh and if I'm a bit chatty about the car its because you'll be hard pressed to find an Exige owner who isn't in love with the car if they track it regularly.

 

Great posts. Thanks!

I don't need much pushing to go over the edge on the Lotus. My biggest concern was the cost of maintenance. I'm leaning towards a cheaper car to maintain, but you're making it sound not as unreasonable.

 

Its actually great on maintenance.

Tires 1/2 price compared to porsche, smaller sizes, last longer
Same with rotors and pads.

Small displacement engine = cheap oil changes.

Toyota engine with small displacement = lasts for ever.

If it blows its cheap to replace.

There are very few moving parts, very few electronics.

The only real negative is the AC doesnt work. But at least the heat works in the winter.

Other than that its a great car. Havent had any issues and put about 12-15K miles on it last year, mostly on the track.

And that's not counting what a pleasure it is to drive.

=)

 

congrats on the r8. its definitely one of my future vehicles. you are damn right about the values - they are not coming down! i guess its due to the limited #s.

what happened to your exige? is that lightning? where did you go off? hope u are alright!

 

Still got the Exige, its doing track duty, back on track in April.

Went off at Turn 1, spun it around into the tire wall protecting the pit.

Having a bit too much fun it would seem.

Definitely makes me appreciate having a light car on track, drops the speed quicker, and much less mass when it impacts, I'm actually surprised the car held up so well.

But yeah, still loving the R8, just had a chance to look at the R8 and the 997TT side by side, definitely, feel like its a good choice.