I think the reason I love the "R8 vs. 458" threads is the fact that the threads even exist. I ordered an R8 coupe, manual, V10, custom paint. Picked it up in Europe, it's sitting at port in GA waiting for a truck. I absolutely love the car, it was just what I wanted. I hope to drive the wheels off it. Would I rather have a 458? Uh, sure. I paid about $165k, most expensive non-real estate purchase I have ever made, and a bit of a stretch for me. So it doesn't even matter. A 458 just as far out of reach as an F12. I happen to love the look of the Audi, and the manual is one of the best I have ever had the experience to drive. It gets more attention than I would like, and feels vastly more special to me than any Porsche. I find that those who say the 458 is so much beyond an R8 either have enough money to buy a 458 easily (so... yeah, the 458 is certainly a more exciting sports car) or have no plans to buy either one and its all arm chair racing. Personally, I think the R8 is the most exciting sports car available at its price point. But hey, if anyone wants to trade me their 458 so I don't have to languish with this over-priced TT, I am happy to oblige.
I actually think the bigger competitor at the price point of a gently used R8 V10 (2012 - $120kish) is actually the F430 - I say this because I'm currently shopping both of these already. The main difference is it is quite a bit easier to find a gated R8 V10 (with no markup really) than it is to find a gated F430 (substantial markup vs F1 trans). The R8 wins the award for the more modern/refined car of the two but the F430 has the honor of being more "special" and I would feel like every time I would take out the F car it would be more of an event so to say. I do think I would actually drive the R8 more than I would the F430. I think they are about in the same spot depreciation wise but that's not a main concern of mine.
Having tested both, I would opt for the R8 as the better car, all around for the money. Scud is a different story.
Thanks - love the Scud but a little too much for the wife and we'll use it mostly together. I'd probably still do a valves exhaust on the R8 to open it up. BZ
ongtats on the purchase of your R8 V10. I bought mine in 2012. The car is a lot of fun to drive and rock solid reliable. My 458 is also a great car. I am not sure which I like better probably the R8. I just love the manual shifter. My 458 has been good to me also. Enjoy your new car Best Lee
I just bought a new 2014 R8 V10 PLUS coupe with a gated 6MT for a steal of a deal. It will join my 2013 458 in the stable. They are blowing out these incredible machines at prices that are lower than if you buy a used one. I just love the gated 6MT and since selling my 2008 430 Spider 6MT a few months back, this car will fit void just nicely. It is brand new with a 4 year full warranty and will actually be a different enough car to warrant having it in my garage. As much as I loved my 430 6MT, it was still fairly similar enough to my 458 and I was just ready for something different. I think that I will always have a car with an old fashioned gearbox in my garage. For me, it isn't that it has to compete with my 458 in terms of speed...it just has to be fun to drive. I like variety in my cars and I don't like having different versions of basically the same car. It isn't as much fun as having a variety of cars that are all very different from one another. The R8 has a more futuristic design and it seems to fly a bit more under the radar and most of all, it is a blast to drive. Rowing through those gears, making that "clink-clink" sound is just what dreams are made of when motoring.
Yes/if you are going to have two hyper sports cars, get two that are very different from each other, not variations on the same theme. Also I suspect that the 6MT will do well in the marketplace going forward.
I think that you are right about the 6MT being a sought after car in years to come. They are a blast to drive and you tend to find them used with more miles on the odometer than the paddle driven counterpart. I have found this to be the case with Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Audi cars in the used market. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer of us come from the old school thinking that a sports car had a manual gearbox and many in the younger generation just don't have that background or memory base. I swear that the actual act of rowing through the gears is embedded in my DNA and it evokes many memories of my younger days. I just love it. At any rate, they are very different cars but...vive la difference!
So, I bought a 2015 R8 V10 S-Tronic this past August after shopping many cars. The search came down to: 1. 355F1 GTS 2. R8 V10 3. 458 Italia Quite an unlikely list of finalists you may say? Sure, with a range of roughly $70k - $300k. But, for me they're all great mid-engine supercars. The 355 GTS was the last of the great F-car targa-tops, the first of the F1 transmissions, and a childhood love-affair. But after driving a few, and realizing that I'd be spending more time tinkering and fixing things I ruled it out. It then came down to the R8 and 458. The 458 is a faster car without a doubt. Is it THAT much quicker? No, but I think it's still noticeable... albeit in few circumstances (legally). Looks wise? I'd give them a tie. The 458 is more emotional where the R8 is more graceful. Completely different designs, both beautifully executed. Driving comfort? I think the R8 has a small edge... but nothing significant that would keep you from buying one over the other. So, why did I ultimately choose the R8? I think it came down to this: 1. Usability - both cars can be driven in comfort, and like I said the small edge the R8 may have wouldn't have swayed me alone. But the "usability" I refer to here is just the ability to actually take the car out and drive it "regular" places. Granted, I still won't drive it and leave it in the mall parking lot. But will I leave it for a quick errand at a small store (safe parking), the bank, etc? Yes. I felt I'd drive the R8 more places than I'd drive the 458. 2. Depreciation / Mileage - call me crazy, but I wanted to drive the car. For whatever reason, F-cars just seem more susceptible to depreciation concerns over mileage. Most R8s tend to get driven more. Case in point, my R8 has about 3k miles on it now in about 5 months of ownership. It'll sit most of the winter, but I bet I'll close out next year with 6 - 8k miles. I felt I'd keep the 458 in the garage more given concerns over deeper depreciation due to higher mileage. 3. Value - I was prepared to spend up to around $300k on this purchase, but I felt I didn't need to in this case. The R8 isn't a 458. The 458 is a bit quicker, a bit more emotional... but my R8 came to $178k ($191k w/ taxes and all) - and I couldn't justify the gap I'd fill for another $100k or so with the 458. Clearly the 458 wasn't a direct rival when Audi designed the R8. The 430, upper-end 911's, yes. The 458 is just a stretch too far. But I'd say the R8 can give you 90% for 60% of the cost, and that's an incredible value. Plus, I think the R8 may turn out to be a modern classic. It's Audi's entrant into the world of supercars... such an iconic design. I wouldn't bet anything on it, but I'd say there's at least a possibility this car will become sought after in the years to come, especially as Audi now prepares to launch the next generation. Should Audi end up with a nice lineage of R8s, the "original" in years to come, where it all began, may not be a bad car to have in the garage. After owning the car for 5 months, I can't get enough of it. It's just a well-screwed-together, tight, balanced, and fast machine. The V10 is a pleasure to listen to, although I know many guys yearn for a bit more exhaust note. I opted for the "sport exhaust" offered new on the 2015's - I think my dealer suggested it was sourced from Lambo - and it's quite loud enough for me (and the neighbors). The new S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission is also brilliant - incredibly fast, silky, and intelligent. The older R-Tronic was a dog, and you'd be better off with the manual. But this new S-Tronic sold me. The only downside I can complain about is the aging Audi MMI system, which is an older unit in the R8... but then again, using the radio and other functions on it are a rarity. All in all, I'd recommend the car to anyone seeking a seriously fun, well-balanced, well-behaved, mid-engine car. Attached is a recent pic. Image Unavailable, Please Login
EZMAASS great R8 coupe. Thanks for the write up. Currently the Audi configurator does not show red as an option. Metallic orange is the closest. But they do show red as an option on the spider.
Just bought a very nice R8 V8 R tronic, going to be using it as my everyday and winter drive. Impressions.. To be honest, it is just a oversizes TT, It works great, much better interior than the 458, easier to park, drive and just get around in. It is hell of a attention seeker, but not more so than my 458. The V8 sound, is not very imposing, soon to be remedied, sport exhaust to be fitted asap. The car in question is a 2009 with 40000 km, black/black. To sum up Pros, really good build quality, great interior, nice to have the 4x4 when the snow comes. You get a lot of car for the money, and you really cant see the difference between mine and a brand new one that costs 3 times as much. Negative 1. it is not a Ferrari, 2. it will never sound like a Ferrari 3. Will never handle like one either 4. R tronic is rubbish, might even be worse than the SMG II I had in my M3 E46 5. Looks a bit like a TT Will I be selling my 458 Italia? Well not just yet. Only if my wife finds out that the 458 I own is not a F430 and that the R8 is not a TT, then perhaps, until then I am golden.. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks! Not sure what to say about the Audi configurator - back in the summer "Brilliant Red" was certainly offered. My car was delivered in August - one of the earliest 2015's. So, either Audi discontinued it, or the configurator is screwy. Red is certainly not a popular color for the R8. Oddly enough, the marketing department featured red quite prominently this year with the V10 Plus, but it's a very rare color for the R8 in general - most are shades of white, grey, and black with a few scattered blue, orange, and red ones out there. J. Salmon's custom green is pretty striking - I'm guessing we won't be seeing any others like it out there. Come to think of it, there's quite a few guys here (in this thread alone) that I recognize from R8talk! So maybe the right answer now is to buy the 458, as well... just to be a bit more well-rounded. But no such luck as stormdk... wife knows too much about cars!
An R8 and a 458 compliment each other perfectly. The R8 ALL weathers, to the local shops, school run etc normal days. The 458 when the roads are dryish and when you are ready to let rip. I recently purchased a 'Speciale' and it's make my R8 feel luxurious and i appreciate it even more. Both great great cars and soo different. Perfect combi if you don't want a modern Porsche. If you've never driven a V10 stick shift- try it- they're great.
