Man of Honour
- Joined
- 5 Jun 2003
- Posts
- 91,805
- Location
- Falling...
What's the point in owning an amazing machine if you don't use it?
Audi R8 V10 Plus - Ownership Experience Thread
- Thread starter Housey
- Start date
What's the point in owning an amazing machine if you don't use it?
I thought the same. You wouldn't want to spend that much on a car and just leave it in your garage. Sure it'll depreciate but can't worry too much about that.
New cars loose a lot of value as soon as they leave the forecourt, better to just enjoy it while you have it!
I live in the Staffordshire countryside, but I went to drive to Ironbridge on Friday evening. Just got in and drove.
Agreed, hence my daily driver being what it is and not having both a fun and regular car, I'm just surprised that's all. Most supercars don't get used any where near as much.
![[ui]ICEMAN](/styles/overclockers/avatars/5.png){kind=avatar}
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 2,612
- Location
- Florida/UK
The difference in depreciation isn't actually all that significant whether you use the car or not. Yes, on a $150-200k car putting 15-20k miles a year will make a difference, but we're talking $10-20k tops. That's not a small sum of money, but relative to the cost of the car, I'd rather have the usage than $10k extra when I come to trade it in.
I do 10-20k miles a year in all of my exotics or sports cars, I don't see the point in buying them and leaving them as garage ornaments. I could buy one without an engine if I wanted to do that!
Glad to see you're enjoying it as you should be Housey
I do 10-20k miles a year in all of my exotics or sports cars, I don't see the point in buying them and leaving them as garage ornaments. I could buy one without an engine if I wanted to do that!
Glad to see you're enjoying it as you should be Housey
Most supercar owners, sadly, don't drive them that quick or take them on track either, some do of course, but many don't. Most have them to drive around London or take a mate out to say look at my Ferrari once in a blue moon or often have several and mix it up a little. I am not the average Supercar owner, I drive it hard, track it and use it all the time to just go drive where most will pose and have the odd blat here and there. Most of my driving is when people aren't about, late at night, early morning when the roads are quietest.
Couple of weeks back I was out with the wife, a "shall we go for a drive" and off we went moment. Leaving Rugeley area a bloke with I assume his mate, similar age to me I would suggest, late 40's, roof down rushes to catch up and sit behind me in his F430. Out of Rugeley I tickle mine a little and frankly it makes his 430 seem a little slow. Eventually he catches up and then makes the most stupid overtake I have seen a long time causing both him and the chap coming the other way to brake and swerve to avoid one another, crazy idiotic move that leaves us breathless, so close to a head on. Sadly this is reflective of a lot of supercar drivers who seem to do 1000 miles a year and in doing so, forget how to drive!
I have a week day car, but being a Polo GTI I have to tread very carefully as such power needs respect.
Yeh those Polo GTI's eat rarri's and lambos for breakfast lol.
Very nice car Housey, immense looking car. Down where I live I see a few of he older V8's ripping around late at night and a few v10's as well.
Thought I should provide a quick update on how I am getting on now that I have run up 10,000 miles under my ownership. Who said no one uses supercars....
I have the car booked in to Shorade in Cannock for some rectification work later this month, to include:
- Refurbish all 4 wheels, full back to metal and rebuild to original titanium colour.
- Replace front and rear titanium coloured (but carbon wrapped) grills with gloss black
- Remove, rectify dink/bad stone chipping and repaint rear bumper
- Repaint both sills and add additional stone protection as both stoned up badly
- Repair bad scratch in nearside carbon blade, worse case replace with new if needed
After this the car will get a full detail and paint treatment, a service well ahead of time and a geo set up at which point it will be locked away until the nice weather returns. This should all be done by close of February at which point I will decide if I keep it or replace it. If I keep it great, if I sell it the next owner knows it is perfect and will hold a good price because of colour, spec and model it is.
I did a track day in it in December at Silverstone and outside of the Macca's, GT Porks and race cars nothing was quicker. It does understeer quite badly however, hence the need for some geo work I feel and I was playing with tyre pressures during the day, but fast sweepers I was struggling to get the nose to turn in a little bit but good god it stops well, as I saw at the ring. Have some pics, will upload in due course. I put 4 new tyres on it in December, just before Silverstone (Michelin Pilot Super Sports) and that has improved the drive from the Continentals that were on there, but not as much as I expected, which speaks well for the Continentals in my opinion.
Generally the car has been faultless. I finally got Audi to find and fix the nocking noise coming from the rear of the car (suspension related) it has run like a train. The engine is a thing of epic proportions and it makes the car. The red colour works well and it has amazing head turning ability if that is your thing. Most drivers really give you loads of road respect which is always nice and it is such a well sorted road car. I am heading down to the Ring again in May with same mates as last time and really looking forward to it, though we may all end up hiring race cars and limiting the risk to our own very expensive metal.
A few friends who have driven other R8's have driven mine and the comment is consistent. I can't believe how different the Plus feels. Tighter, shaper, stiffer and a touch quicker. I like the car a lot, I will be more than happy if I run it for another 12 months and will be sorry to see it go if I don't.
I have the car booked in to Shorade in Cannock for some rectification work later this month, to include:
- Refurbish all 4 wheels, full back to metal and rebuild to original titanium colour.
- Replace front and rear titanium coloured (but carbon wrapped) grills with gloss black
- Remove, rectify dink/bad stone chipping and repaint rear bumper
- Repaint both sills and add additional stone protection as both stoned up badly
- Repair bad scratch in nearside carbon blade, worse case replace with new if needed
After this the car will get a full detail and paint treatment, a service well ahead of time and a geo set up at which point it will be locked away until the nice weather returns. This should all be done by close of February at which point I will decide if I keep it or replace it. If I keep it great, if I sell it the next owner knows it is perfect and will hold a good price because of colour, spec and model it is.
I did a track day in it in December at Silverstone and outside of the Macca's, GT Porks and race cars nothing was quicker. It does understeer quite badly however, hence the need for some geo work I feel and I was playing with tyre pressures during the day, but fast sweepers I was struggling to get the nose to turn in a little bit but good god it stops well, as I saw at the ring. Have some pics, will upload in due course. I put 4 new tyres on it in December, just before Silverstone (Michelin Pilot Super Sports) and that has improved the drive from the Continentals that were on there, but not as much as I expected, which speaks well for the Continentals in my opinion.
Generally the car has been faultless. I finally got Audi to find and fix the nocking noise coming from the rear of the car (suspension related) it has run like a train. The engine is a thing of epic proportions and it makes the car. The red colour works well and it has amazing head turning ability if that is your thing. Most drivers really give you loads of road respect which is always nice and it is such a well sorted road car. I am heading down to the Ring again in May with same mates as last time and really looking forward to it, though we may all end up hiring race cars and limiting the risk to our own very expensive metal.
A few friends who have driven other R8's have driven mine and the comment is consistent. I can't believe how different the Plus feels. Tighter, shaper, stiffer and a touch quicker. I like the car a lot, I will be more than happy if I run it for another 12 months and will be sorry to see it go if I don't.
Soldato
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2004
- Posts
- 5,958
- Location
- Essex
Looking to get one as a side to the A45, looks like 2nd hand a plus is sitting around £115k at the moment?
Do you have the dynamic steering? Heard that it's not particularly useful...
Also, I assume you have the bucket seats? I'd want the sport seats, although in a plus so seems a little counterintuitive perhaps.
Oh, just realised that this is a 1st gen you have...hmmm.
Do you have the dynamic steering? Heard that it's not particularly useful...
Also, I assume you have the bucket seats? I'd want the sport seats, although in a plus so seems a little counterintuitive perhaps.
Oh, just realised that this is a 1st gen you have...hmmm.
What will be the primary influence on the keep or sell decision? Related to potential availability of other cars?
There doesn't seem to be much amongst what you've written to justify a 'sell' decision without there being some external influence involved
There doesn't seem to be much amongst what you've written to justify a 'sell' decision without there being some external influence involved
Yes first gen, I would not spec dynamic steering and over 110K I would go with a Macca I think. If the current one falls below 100K in Plus version and you can find one without dynamic steering it is a great buy. The seats in the new one are not as good as mine, either of them. They use a new bucket seat and it's not a patch on the ones in mine.
What will be the primary influence on the keep or sell decision? Related to potential availability of other cars?
There doesn't seem to be much amongst what you've written to justify a 'sell' decision without there being some external influence involved
Money, simple as that. If I have some to spare on such a toy then I may, if I don't then I won't.
Soldato
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2004
- Posts
- 5,958
- Location
- Essex
Oh I imagined the seats where just the usual sports seats... I definitely don't want buckets either way!
The 540C looks to be a good £20-30k more and only seems to boast the badge and perhaps more rwd shenanigans over the Audi. For an all rounder, especially with that V10, the R8 seems very hard to top at the price range.
It's the 570S I am looking at.
The new R8 has 2 seat types, sports and buckets. My point was the buckets are different to my buckets, less good, less supportive, sit higher.
Soldato
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2004
- Posts
- 5,958
- Location
- Essex
Righto, do you find your buckets ok for long distance driving? I would imagine they're only truly worth having for the track?
My R8 goes into www.shorade.co.uk tomorrow for a week or so to have a list of things done (summarised above) to bring it back to new showroom condition. I will ask them to take photos as they process the car as I am sure that will interest a few people. Luckily the final bits of the front and rear grill replacements arrived from Germany on Saturday morning, so we are all set! It is frightening how a few bits of plastic can cost £1,600, but I am hoping I can sell my old ones and get some of that back, once I have removed the carbon wrap which is now looking tired, hence the change to brand new shiny gloss black items. The bumpers are best removed to do this properly so I am glad it's in the hands of professionals. Can't wait to get it done, get it back and hopefully get the carbon blade repaired too as replacing that will mean some serious pants down.
