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Considering buying an Audi R8 5.2.

T

The-Noid

Diamond Member
First off we won't get into the money specifics. Purchase will be cash, no debt, run in the market has been good, business has been good and I am not spending every cent I have on a car. My father just bought a ZR-1, so I will not be buying one.

There are three main points about the purchase and practicality that I would like some insight on and if I am making a mistake. Anything I write, if you know another answer please post that is what I am looking for as I want to contradict the dealership if possible.

1.) Car delivery time is anywhere from 4 to 6 months. Basically you put your name on a list when it comes in you have the choice to buy or not to. Price of the 5.2 may go for up to 10-15k over window currently. Other choice is you can make an order and pick it up in Germany. Time is 6 months then, however our dealership has had good luck filling orders in less than 4 months, that was for the 4.2 though. 5.2 are more or less a crapshoot still as they will only be making 500 this year (according to dealership).
2.) Our dealership in Minnesota apparently is owned by a man out of Pittsburgh who apparently owns 5 other Audi dealerships. The so called list of people will be for all of the dealerships.
3.) This is probably the biggest point. I live in Minnesota and would like to make this my summer daily driver. Can this type of car be used as a daily driver? I have approximately a 10 mile commute 3 days a week and say 50 to 60 the other 2 days a week. If I am going to spend the money, I would like to at least use the car as opposed to some who let these type of cars sit in their garage 24/7. The dealership says the warranty is the same as any other Audi in terms of getting stuff fixed, however it really doesn't matter if the car is in the shop all the time.

If anyone knows another forum to post this stuff on it would be great, thought I would start out here however.

Thanks for the help.
 
First of all, congratulations you SOB for being in a position where you can consider purchasing one of the most gorgeous cars on the road today.

Edmunds just published their review of the R8 Spyder.

From all that I have read and seen (TOP GEAR), the R8 is arguably the most "everyday" super car out there. That said, it is a magnet and will attract attention no matter where it goes, so forget ever parking it normally. You will have to get use to valet. I would say this is in contrast to say a Porsche 911 Turbo which is more of a "sleeper supercar" since the 911 is so prevalent.

It goes without saying, expect maintenance and insurance to be astronomical.

And if I were you, I would do European delivery. Pick it up in Bavaria, drive it on its native Autobahn, and go find some of the best roads in Europe.

If I were to cross-shop the R8 with anything it would probably be something from Aston Martin: V12 Vantage, DBS, etc.

Edit: I would personally opt for the 6-speed as opposed to the E-Gear.
 
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6 Speed is a definite. Would be parked in our lot which is keycoded.

I am not interested in a convertible unfortunately.

There is also a pre-pay maintenance like I did with my S6. Insurance is surprisingly cheap. $275/month for 10 months, as long as it is parked in lot and not outside.

Looked at a DBS, but I very much prefer German cars and have absolutely no chance of getting a DBS serviced in MN whereas the dealership here has sold 40 R8's since they came out.
 
Oh, I thought you said you wanted the Spyder.

In that case, I would actually go with the 4.2 version. Most reviews I have read prefer it to the 5.2. Then again, a V10 brings certain bragging rights.
 
One thing to worry about is commuting with any extreme high performance vehicle will rack up the miles. This will destroy any resale value, so you'll end up taking a huge loss IF you decide to sell later on..
 
Really, you have any links to the comparisons between the 4.2 and 5.2? I had an RS4 same 4.2 liter, which I got rid of in favor of an S6 and the feel of the S6 is quite a bit different with the V10. The torque is there whenever you hit the gas, with the RS4 it was there but took a bit more to get it.
 
SpatiallyAware said:
One thing to worry about is commuting with any extreme high performance vehicle will rack up the miles. This will destroy any resale value, so you'll end up taking a huge loss IF you decide to sell later on..
Click to expand...

Very good point, never thought about that. With 40-50k miles you think car would be worth 40-50% or less? If it were any less I guess I would keep it anyway. Never really looked at the resale market for super cars however.
 
I would definitely check out the top gear where they reviewed it, and ask how much the scheduled maintenance will cost, and the intervals. A quick google shows the 15000 mile was ~600 on the 08, so it may not be that bad, but you certainly want to make sure you are not going to run into a complete engine rebuild at 30000 miles.
 
PlasmaBomb said:
R8 V8 vs R8 V10
Click to expand...

"You'd have to be an idiot not to."

He noticed the exact same thing I noticed when pricing the cars.

R8 4.2 is about 132k with options I want. R8 5.2 is 152k with options I want and a couple I don't. I really don't care if I have a set of $6,000 headlights...

Service is 3,600 to get to 50k not including brakes and tires and can be prepaid with a 10% discount at signing.
 
amdhunter said:
Congrats! R8 looks sweet, although personally, I'd go for a GTR. It just seems more exclusive and fun. 🙂
Click to expand...

GTR is nice I have read a lot of horror stories about the service though. I don't know if they are true or not though.

I have a feeling Audi wouldn't bend me over if something very bad happened. The firm and I have bought 10 cars from them in the last 3 years.
 
lurk3r said:
I would definitely check out the top gear where they reviewed it, and ask how much the scheduled maintenance will cost, and the intervals. A quick google shows the 15000 mile was ~600 on the 08, so it may not be that bad, but you certainly want to make sure you are not going to run into a complete engine rebuild at 30000 miles.
Click to expand...

:hmm:

It does, however, have long service intervals which can be up to two years/19,000 miles apart.
Click to expand...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/FEATURES/AUDI/audi_r8_v10_supercar_car_review.html
 
Yoxxy said:
"You'd have to be an idiot not to."

He noticed the exact same thing I noticed when pricing the cars.

R8 4.2 is about 132k with options I want. R8 5.2 is 152k with options I want and a couple I don't. I really don't care if I have a set of $6,000 headlights...

Service is 3,600 to get to 50k not including brakes and tires and can be prepaid with a 10% discount at signing.
Click to expand...

Glad you enjoyed the video 🙂

Standard equipment above the V8 includes:
• Audi magnetic ride active damping
• All-LED headlights (a world first)
• 465-watt Bang and Olufsen audio system
• Metallic paint
• New 19-inch alloys
• Electrically-adjustable heated front seats
• Interior lighting package
• Hill hold assist
• Oval tailpipes
• New rear diffuser
• DVD sat-nav
• Automatic lighting and wipers

(if anyone was wondering)
 
Well I am going to do it.

Only question is now is to put my name on a list and wait 4-6 months or order what I really want and pick it up in .de.

Anyone have any experience with a Euro pickup? More or less I am most worried about the tax implications.
 
Yoxxy said:
Well I am going to do it.

Only question is now is to put my name on a list and wait 4-6 months or order what I really want and pick it up in .de.

Anyone have any experience with a Euro pickup? More or less I am most worried about the tax implications.
Click to expand...

I know some guys that did the BMW Euro pickup.. They all loved it and swear that it just wouldnt have been the same without it.


Might sound strange.. Is used out of the question? Ive seen quite a few R8s with <2000 miles for a pretty significant loss..
 
Used isn't out of the question, if I could find a good deal on a used it would probably be the best case scenario actually. I would like to not have to wait as summer is almost coming here in MN.

I haven't seen any used v10's yet though is the only problem.
 
I think you save a little on MSRP with European pickup. Also, if you put enough miles on it, you might be able to save on import duties.

But I can guarantee you that it would be an unforgettable experience. I would aim to go to Germany between May and September/October. Heck if you went towards the end of September, you could go to the Oktoberfest as well.

I would do that and then go find that "perfect" road in Switzerland/Italy that the TOP GEAR guys found. Check it out.

You could also opt to go drive it on THE RING if you had the balls and insurance to do it.
 
Yoxxy said:
First off we won't get into the money specifics. Purchase will be cash, no debt, run in the market has been good, business has been good and I am not spending every cent I have on a car. My father just bought a ZR-1, so I will not be buying one.

There are three main points about the purchase and practicality that I would like some insight on and if I am making a mistake. Anything I write, if you know another answer please post that is what I am looking for as I want to contradict the dealership if possible.

1.) Car delivery time is anywhere from 4 to 6 months. Basically you put your name on a list when it comes in you have the choice to buy or not to. Price of the 5.2 may go for up to 10-15k over window currently. Other choice is you can make an order and pick it up in Germany. Time is 6 months then, however our dealership has had good luck filling orders in less than 4 months, that was for the 4.2 though. 5.2 are more or less a crapshoot still as they will only be making 500 this year (according to dealership).
2.) Our dealership in Minnesota apparently is owned by a man out of Pittsburgh who apparently owns 5 other Audi dealerships. The so called list of people will be for all of the dealerships.
3.) This is probably the biggest point. I live in Minnesota and would like to make this my summer daily driver. Can this type of car be used as a daily driver? I have approximately a 10 mile commute 3 days a week and say 50 to 60 the other 2 days a week. If I am going to spend the money, I would like to at least use the car as opposed to some who let these type of cars sit in their garage 24/7. The dealership says the warranty is the same as any other Audi in terms of getting stuff fixed, however it really doesn't matter if the car is in the shop all the time.

If anyone knows another forum to post this stuff on it would be great, thought I would start out here however.

Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

1) Stay away from r-tronic, crap. When you stomp on it, the car jerks fwd, catches it self and then replants with hard acceleration. I don't have a frame of reference for high end slushboxes, but my buddy says it's no good when compared to lambo e-gear.

2) The car is actually super manageable on the road, suspension was marginally harsher than my S4 and I'm guessing it's got DRC, because harshness for big bumps wasn't linear like my car (bigger dip has softer landing).

3) I'd go for the 4.2 FSI, the resale on those has dropped a little and you can pick it up for barely 6 figures. Plus sourcing parts if it does need service is gonna be easier, since there's a quite a bit of rs4s running around.


Check quattroworld, there's a good number of R8 owners over there.
 
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