I'm quite lucky at the moment. I have no brand loyalties to any car maker. I've loved Shelby Sunbeam Tigers, old Porsche 911's, Renault Alpines, an MR2 and a Nissan 300 ZX turbo. Right now I have both a supercharged Porsche CS, and a brand new Audi R8. I completely lucked into the R8. I first asked about the R8 at our nearest Audi dealer in December. This dealer is in a small western city, without too many sports car people, and I took delivery of my R8 just a few weeks ago. ( the waiting time for a new R8 is usually over 2 yrs.!) As the dealership advertises, they sold the R8 to me MSRP, and without the usual R8 mandatory buy-back contract. Other dealers were offering them > $24,000 over their dealer cost for this car. So I am completely amazed that I got the car, which was spot on as to my own conifg ideas, ( except for no iPod player ).
Anyway, the prices for the R8 are crazy. I can sell it tomorrow for $50,000 over the MSRP that I paid. I have just finished the recommended break in, and I start tracking it next week at a special Audi track session in Utah. I know I can put a few thousand miles on it, and then sell it and still make an easy small profit on it.. Certainly enough to cover the cost of the insurance, taxes and investment opportunity costs.
My plan is to try both cars for a few months, and then decide which to keep and which to sell. To be honest, for me, and for most true high performance motorsport lovers, the Porsche CS is more of a fancy "kit" car. The CS comes stock with only some very great and pleasant suggestions of its actual potential. But it is totally up to the individual owner to pursue the journey for their ultimate CS. This reality is probably the main reason that the CS has this most wonderful CC forum and support group. ( BTW, the best R8 forum is a complete joke ). ... As it is, my supercharged CS is much faster than the R8,.. and my thinking is that my supercharged CS will actually equal or even best the R8 as to being my preferred car.
The mid-engine, all wheel drive, Audi R8 comes much more complete in almost all ways than the Porsche CS. ( and thus the addition expense?) It is faster and quicker with 420 HP, and its also heavier... It is much more refined. The luxurious cockpit area is so spacious in comparison, and much easier to live in hour after hour. But this mid-engine car does feel a little bigger and wider than the CS. The R8 does corner so well!.. but NOT with the scalpel like sensitivity and clarity of the CS. It is a mid engine car, and it feels 100X better than any 911 ever made at cornering. Just not quite as perfect as the CS. ...The R8 is so quiet and tame as a normal street car. Maybe even easier to drive than a stock CS as a daily driver. And when driven fast, the R8 doesn't seem quite so physically aggressive as the CS. The R8 is way faster, and with more deep exhaust growl, but it is so easy to handle and control!. Also Audi Corp. has a great owner's support system and an 'after sales' program especially for the R8. All in all, the Audi R8 is one of the all time Best Ever!
The worst ( best?) thing about the R8 is the attention. The R8 looks so much better in real life than in any fotos. Luckily I live just outside of a famous western ski resort town that is very comfortable with higher end everything. But even here I get people following me for miles just to get a pic of the car, or to ask me questions. However most of the time I have nothing but great beautiful open uncongested winding mountain hiways to drive through...(Almost completely without the speed police!) Luckily, for about 8 months a year, I live in a sports car driving paradise.
Right now my CS is down south awaiting the spring thaw. ( Yes,.. here we still have freezing winter temps, and great skiing! What a crazy spring!) I hope to be reunited with the CS after next weekend's track days with Audi. Within the month I should have both cars ready for same day track comparisons. I'm excited that it looks like I can have interchangeable track wheels /tires for the CS and R8! I will save my judgment for that time, and I will then pass my thoughts on to those who may be interested.
Cold Croc, if you get a chance to buy any R8 for near MSRP, do it! You will always be able to sell it for profit after some super, super fun. Audi is not going to mass produce these cars, and there are fewer and fewer R8's going to USA due to USD values. The demand will remain crazy high. It's a great, great car.
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