Have RS7, Considering 2014 R8

[DaveinAZ]

Hello All,

A fun, if long, post for a Friday to hopefully get some opinions...

I'm a happy owner of a 2014 RS7. You can see some pics I posted on Audizine back in the day when the car was new and RS7s were harder to come by:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-Blue-RS7-Pics

I leased the car from Audi and currently have under 11k miles on it. Given how my travel schedule is looking, I think it will have under 15k miles in December when the lease is due. As those who drive an A, S, or RS know, the 7s are very practical cars with that 5th door, so the current plan was to buy out the lease (somewhere in the high $60k range) as it's the ultimate "family sports car".

That said, while I love the car, there are two things I really wish it had/I miss:

1) A manual transmission

2) A spare tire

#2 is for a different discussion (but a serious consideration), but #1 is the reason for this post - I've been thinking about grabbing a 2014 R8 with a manual.

I think an R8 would be a much more intimate, visceral driving experience, not only due to the manual but also due to the 18 inches separating your headrest from and 10 cylinders screaming at 8000 RPM. Is that a fair assumption?

In addition to the driving experience, I would think the "non-driving" experience of owning an R8 would also be more fun (if you're in the mood for attention).

While the R8 is not wearing Lambo bling, I would think they still attract a fair bit of interest.

An A/S/RS 7 gets interest from non-car people/women as they are BEAUTIFUL cars...but there's no difference between the various models. I had a 2012 A7 before the RS and get roughly the same level of interest, with the exception of attention from gear heads. And it's only Audi gear heads/dudes who are like, “Wow! What a car!" regarding the RS7. Hell, my wife preferred the A7 because she says the RS doesn't, "Go slow well."

So, would a 2014 R8 be the answer?

Sincerely,

"First World Problems"

[a4_matt]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-Blue-RS7-Pics

Beautiful car!!

From what i'm reading, you travel a lot and don't get to drive that much and want something that when you come home, you'll get that super big smile of enjoyment that the 7 isn't giving you, given the lack of manual trans.... So, i'm thinking the R8 would be a fun, come home to weekend warrior (assuming you're gone Mon-Thurs/Fri for work)

Honestly though, it seems like you've already made up your mind, but want us to convince you more to get a R8!

[b6onboost]

[NYSpeedRacer]

I travel approximately 300 days a year and I look forward to driving my TT R8 whenever I'm home. You'll love every second of it! Can't go wrong.


Sent from my Rickshaw

[beamon]

Given the new R8 is S-tronic only, I think buying a 6-speed R8 is the way to go. I recently picked up a 14 V10 Plus 6-speed...you will love it. I searched for a while to find the right one. There are not many 6-speed R8s from 2014-15 to choose from. You will find more selection among 2010-12 models. Be patient and hopefully you will find what you are looking for!

[87supraman]

That would definitely be a head turner. Average people just don't understand the RS7. I had recently looked at the older R8s also but got impatient and came home with a Porsche 911. 2+2 seating was the game changer, we have a 5 year old. I had wanted a 997 TT 6 speed but those are difficult to find also. After driving both 997 and 996 C4Ss, I ultimately bought the 996 and came in way under budget. I'll continue to search for that perfect R8 or 911TT and maybe switch if I find one. This C4S has grown on me a lot.

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[UroTuning]

As amazing as the R8 is, ive driven both and would rock the RS7!

[NYSpeedRacer]

As amazing as the R8 is, ive driven both and would rock the RS7!

I agree, but seems like OP would like some "show"....

[UroTuning]

I just love the grumble of the RS7. Sometimes the engine noise is enough to be a showstopper.


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[ENV²]

Yes. If you do not need the space of the RS7, the R8 with the V10 and a manual is just an overall visceral experience. I want to get a CPO V10 R8 in a couple of years.

[InvigR8]

Yeah, RS7 is gonna feel faster than the 2014 R8*, but if it is for show it's an awesome car.

* in a straight line :)

[Excelerate]

I own both an RS7 and a R8 (but mine is a 4.2). They are vastly different cars. RS7 is great for power, straight lines, interior, audio, but it's a boat. The R8 is great for winding out, curves, feeling connected to the road, but the audio and interior is sub par. And it's only accommodating two people.

[MD4Babes]

I also own both 2011 manual R8 and 2014 RS7. APR tuned RS7 is way faster than then APR tuned v10 R8 . But I just love the clicking of the metal gate shifter, 6-speed going to be hard to find one day just like the 430. Driving experience on the track and road AWESOME. always puts a smile on my face.

[GrapeBandit]

i wish i had your problems. it would be easy choice for me since i dislike r8's and think they are overpriced. id get a used ferrari and call it a day

[InvigR8]

...i dislike r8's and think they are overpriced. id get a used ferrari...

LOL. Overpriced but you would get a Ferrari instead?

[GrapeBandit]

LOL. Overpriced but you would get a Ferrari instead?

for sure, Ferrari's are way better looking and have better sounding engines.

[Mlaudisa]

I realise this is an older thread, but I have had a similar "soul-searching" experience with an RS5... I got the car in 2015 and thought I was on top of the world for a while. But like the RS7, it's still a larger, heavier car, and after a while on the road I didn't get that connected, raw feeling I was after. It was a powerful car that sounded great, but left me wanting somehow. For a while I was browsing AutoTrader in search of something else, not really knowing what I was missing or looking for. Then a few weeks ago a 2010 R8 V10 showed up in the listings for the right price, and after a test drive I was in love: the R8 is in a different league. It's still really comfortable on the street (actually more so than the RS5 due to its magnetic shocks), yet it is explosive in power and very agile and nimble. It has an eagerness to turn in that makes it feel much quicker and alert than the RS5, and an acceleration that pulls you hard across the entire RPM band. In short, I bought it and never looked back. The R8 is a supercar that brings you back to what the driving experience should be like: immediate, direct, sensual, and exhilarating. Nav and radio or electronic gadgets are not the reason to buy one, nor is trunk or seating space: it's about feeling at one with a beautiful machine that will make your commute the most enjoyable part of your day.

[WinterRunner]

Do it, it's a super comfortable car, and can store more than most think it's capable of.