Drove a 2011 Manual Audi R8 V8 today - Extremely underwhelmed

[///M///]

I'll start off by saying that I was lately I have had the bug of trying something other than M3's that i have owned over the past 12-15 years. The Audi V8 R8 essentially caught my attention because the 2008-2011's can now be had for 58k-75k depending on year and options. The V10's are was out of my budget. After seeing all the YouTube videos on how amazing the 1st Gen V8's with the gated manual transmission are, I was really looking forward to checking out one in person and how they drive. Finally got the opportunity to drive one for a really long extended drive through back roads and straight's. Revved it through the complete rev range in 1st and 2nd. Here were my observations:

2011 R8 V8
Black on Black
6 Speed Gated Tranny
20k miles

Quick summary: It honestly felt like an ordinary Audi in exotic clothing. To be truly considered an exotic, the R8 with the Lambo 5.2 V10 is the only way to go. With the S4 V8 I had found it to be severely lacking.

Maybe I went with extremely high expectations but to say I was underwhelmed would be a huge understatement.

Engine: Firstly it felt slow and I mean extremely slow. I was hoping to get that visceral feel from the engine as I revved it through the gears redlining in the first 2 but the car felt muted. Easy fix with an aftermarket exhaust but in comparing it to my E90 M3, this thing felt even slower and was lacking that visceral feel. So I can't say there was anything wrong with the engine but it didn't feel special either. Guess my expectations were way higher

Tranny: Not sure what the fuss is all about the gated transmission because honestly it didn't do anything for me. The gears were easy to change and the throws were fine but nothing special about the gated contraption. The clutch was really heavy and I mean really heavy compared to the ///M. Not sure if that's how they came or the car had an issue?

Interior: Very very ordinary again and felt dated. Some would say it's a 2011 so it would look old but it looked older than my last M3's interior and Audi's are known to have amazing interiors. The carbon package is definitely a must have if you are looking for the 1st gen R8. This one felt very very basic, the steering was skinny and not perforated. The suspension had only 1 mode, sport and non-sport, nothing else other than traction off.

Exterior: This is where the car shines. Absolutely amazing looking Truly amazing design and love how the rear of the car looks. This is where it looks like an exotic but unfortunately that's where being exotic ends as well.

Dealer offered me 44k for my car (2016 with 15k) and out the door for the R8 was 30k.

Here is what I'd like to say, you should always stay curious about cars you may be interested in and given the chance, definitely take them for a test drive because once you do that you will have renewed appreciation for what you drive (in most cases) I can confidently say that I would not even consider an EVEN trade for a 1st Gen V8 R8 and if I did do it, it would only be to sell it for profit and get a newer M3

So glad I did this. I love my car

Here are some pictures:

[Thescout13]

Not surprised by your review. Remember driving a 2010 back in 2016 that a friend had in his showroom (used luxury car dealer) and being wholly underwhelmed.

[///M///]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

Not surprised by your review. Remember driving a 2010 back in 2016 that a friend had in his showroom (used luxury car dealer) and being wholly underwhelmed.

Yeah. On the outside, looks like a 150-200k exotic but drives like a 50-60k car if that makes sense.

[Jojipoji]

I had the same feeling of lack of performance. I will say that the seating position and how low the car was does make you feel like you’re in a race car.

[gatorfast]

Its definitely more of a looker than a performer. I drove the same model as you (but with dsg) several years back and felt the same in terms of the performance. I had an E90 M3 at the time and the R8 didn't feel any faster. Its a car that looks exotic but doesn't perform exotic but can also be driven every day. Truthfully, with a nice loud exhaust and the engine screaming behind your head Im sure you would love driving it every day even if it isn't as fast as your F80.

[sdshah]

The V8 was always known to be a slug and it's also a 10 year old plus car from design.

[ntg44]

As a current owner of both, f80 6mt and r8 4.2 spyder 6mt, I think it’s a little unfair to judge by 2018 standards. The v8 model came out in 08 with a starting msrp of 108k US. At the time it was absolutely competitive with a 911 c4s, at least on numbers, and was praised for its great handling and unique design. I’m a firm believer that it will age way more gracefully than the lambofied 2nd gen. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that means I am as well haha. What I can say is that the heavy hydraulic steering gives way more feedback than the current gen m3 ever will, and even with a comparatively slow engine, the exhaust note on my spyder is way more satisfying than the f80, and having a small spunky 8500rpm v8 that you can rev the snot out of all the time has given me just as much pleasure as the bonkers power of the m3. Except I’m not doing triple digits by the end of it like the m3. Not to mention the 15/85 f/r torque bias and mid engine weight distribution allow the car to rotate beautifully on high speed sweepers, instead of cutting power at the first turn of steering angle like my f80. Sure, the m3 makes me laugh hysterically every time I’m in it, but the r8 gives a huge smile and euphoric feeling every time I execute a perfect 2-3 shift at 8500rpm with the bolt action feeling shifter. Yes, the v10 will always be “the better” one, and the f80 will always be the faster better car, but I know which one I’ll be keeping as long as I can and which one I’ll be dumping for the next “best” thing. The r8 is no z06, 911 turbo, or even m3! But it was never meant to be, and it is absolutely the car I plan to keep forever.

[///M///]

Loved your feedback coming from a previous owner. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to love it and I was not comparing it to my 2016 entirely. I felt that my previous 2009 M3 felt more visceral and faster. The stock exhaust on the R8 is really muted so I didn't get any of the loud roar one would expect from an exotic. The steering wheel looked subpar for a 115k car (2011). Overall, I went in thinking Exotoc/Supercar but didn't come away thinking the same. I think it is one of the most amazing looking cars but with okay performance. I wanted to love it but it left me wanting a lot more.

Originally Posted by ntgarage44

As a current owner of both, f80 6mt and r8 4.2 spyder 6mt, I think it’s a little unfair to judge by 2018 standards. The v8 model came out in 08 with a starting msrp of 108k US. At the time it was absolutely competitive with a 911 c4s, at least on numbers, and was praised for its great handling and unique design. I’m a firm believer that it will age way more gracefully than the lambofied 2nd gen. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that means I am as well haha. What I can say is that the heavy hydraulic steering gives way more feedback than the current gen m3 ever will, and even with a comparatively slow engine, the exhaust note on my spyder is way more satisfying than the f80, and having a small spunky 8500rpm v8 that you can rev the snot out of all the time has given me just as much pleasure as the bonkers power of the m3. Except I’m not doing triple digits by the end of it like the m3. Not to mention the 15/85 f/r torque bias and mid engine weight distribution allow the car to rotate beautifully on high speed sweepers, instead of cutting power at the first turn of steering angle like my f80. Sure, the m3 makes me laugh hysterically every time I’m in it, but the r8 gives a huge smile and euphoric feeling every time I execute a perfect 2-3 shift at 8500rpm with the bolt action feeling shifter. Yes, the v10 will always be “the better” one, and the f80 will always be the faster better car, but I know which one I’ll be keeping as long as I can and which one I’ll be dumping for the next “best” thing. The r8 is no z06, 911 turbo, or even m3! But it was never meant to be, and it is absolutely the car I plan to keep forever.

[ntg44]

And that’s the beauty of the car industry. There’s always something for everyone. Now I need to work on talking myself out of an e92 m3 haha.

[clutchdj]

Is that audi Devon?

[nicknaz]

I was briefly interested in R8 V8, OP, but found out it was a ~110mph trap speed car and decided to take a hard pass

Not enough acceleration potential for my taste, especially given the body shape of the car.

[///M///]

Originally Posted by clutchdj

Is that audi Devon?

Tunersville, NJ.

[fusionchicken]

IIRC the E9x M3 runs even if not slightly quicker from a roll than a V8 R8 so your butt dyno is pretty accurate

The F8x M completely walks it

IMHO the R8 is one of those "driving feel" cars, similar to some of the Porsche models that aren't worth as much as houses in certain states. I've driven a V10 R8 and even that car didn't really "wow" me in terms of its performance or even necessarily its driving dynamics (coming from multiple AWD cars I just prefer RWD performance cars), but I can see how the formula for having an exotic exterior plus having a high revving V8 / V10 behind your face, and having AWD / grip to harness the high RPM power can be really exciting for some folks. If I were made of money I'd certainly still have two straight piped R8s in V8 and V10 variants in my garage, both manual, and make one of them a drop top.

[mcc3456]

Still waiting for the “Drove a LaFerrari, but was underwhelmed, because my M4 has bigger glovebox” thread. Suspect it’s coming soon on this forum...

[///M///]

Originally Posted by mcc3456

Still waiting for the “Drove a LaFerrari, but was underwhelmed, because my M4 has bigger glovebox” thread. Suspect it’s coming soon on this forum...

Not quite the same analogy. Comparing a Ferrari to an Audi is pretty dumb imo. My point was that the R8 felt nothing like a supercar on the inside and in how it drove. Definitely looks like a supercar, there is no denying that.

[///M4ster Yoda]

Just look at the i8.

Lawnmower in a supercar body

[six-n-twins53]

I don't know, faster or not, the R8 is pretty sweet. A buddy of mine had one and it looked awesome just sitting there lol!

[tropicalypso]

I did the Audi Driving Experience with the V8 R8 (back in like... 2009??). Beautiful car. The driving experience was a bit... sedate? 120mph on the banked sections of Homestead Raceway felt boring, and the AWD made the inner road course seem like child's play.

Most of that was attributable to the wonderful chassis and drive systems of the car.

The engine didn't overwhelm me, and that was long before I had ever driven anything more powerful than a 350z.

[Yes2m3cs]

My buddy has the V10 manual trans R8. That is the one to have

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by ///M4ster Yoda

Just look at the i8.

Lawnmower in a supercar body

too bad i8 wasn't an all electric powerhouse. P100D levels of capability in i8 body shape would have been amazing

And too bad R8 doesn't come with V10 standard

IMHO, all sports cars with new MSRP >$100k need to pass the "wagon test" (e.g. needs to be able to win a 60-120+mph roll race versus e63s wagon)

[ntg44]

When the S8 Plus came out a few years ago, it was faster than the r8 v10 at the time, so I guess the V10 gets disqualified too? The big engine in a regular car will always be more economical than the big engine in a low volume sports car, sometimes even faster. Anything is relative. Just took out my v8 spyder yesterday, remembered how much fun it was, numbers be damned. Just some food for thought!

[///M4ster Yoda]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

too bad i8 wasn't an all electric powerhouse. P100D levels of capability in i8 body shape would have been amazing

And too bad R8 doesn't come with V10 standard

IMHO, all sports cars with new MSRP >$100k need to pass the "wagon test" (e.g. needs to be able to win a 60-120+mph roll race versus e63s wagon)

I've been looking at used e63 AMG wagons recently. It's the ultimate family mobile. Wife won't go for it and wants an SUV

Typical American/American Woman