OK, here is another ownership update after hitting over 9000 km in my car (yes, I drove over 6000 km with it within the last four months):

The R8 has been very reliable so far, car runs and runs and does it pretty well.

However, there have been two issues I haven't told you about because I wanted to see what Audi has to say and what will be done to fix them:

You may remember that I left my R8 at the dealership for a week because I went on a short vacation and the dealer needed to register the car on my name, get me new license plates (I drove almost 3000 km with dealership license plates) and have an oil exchange done (free of cost, courtesy of the dealership, even if not necessary). So far, so good.

When I picked up my car after that week, the exhaust sound was different. Not really muted but especially in the lower rev range, under 3000 rpm, dampened. Even those "backfiring" noises were basically gone under 3000 rpm, the car was still loud and almost unchanged over 4000 rpm but the whole sound was a bit dampened, not less loud but as if someone put some wool inside the exhaust. It is difficult to explain. My son noticed first, I thought I am tired and didn't really take it serious until the second day, when I drove my usual roads and noticed that the sound had changed.

I asked the dealer if they had done a software update. Dealer said no, also confirmed that there was no entry in the "Audi System" about any software update. A little birdie confirmed this, no software update entry in the system. 

The chief mechanic responsible with the R8 at the dealership, Audi just introduced a new R8 "VIP" system at two larger dealerships to see how it is working for them and customers, checked my car in comparison with a used 24 hours experience car they had in stock and confirmed(!) my findings. My car sounded different under 3000 rpm and the exhaust sound was a bit dampened, not quieter but the tone was more dull. Backfiring was almost gone completely.

My Audi dealer sent the data and a sound file of the car to Audi. Audi sent a Quattro GmbH technician to check on my car and to compare it to that 24 hours experience car they had at the dealership. Technician didn't find any hardware issues and did a full reset of all control units. After that, he claimed everything is OK now. Well, it sounds exactly the same, nothing has changed.

So this whole thing has been elevated to a different (complaint) level but Audi has difficulties to deal with it because my car is, according to them, the first with this issue. 

Personally, after talking to many R8 "experts" and people who work for Audi, I assume there has been a "secret" software update while my car was at the dealership. Is that possible without the mechanics knowing? Unfortunately...yes. Audi has incremental(!) software updates for their cars, they can be done in 20-40 seconds while the diagnostic tool is connected to the car. There is no warning, there is no reset (this is done automatically once the ignition is turned off) and everything is basically done while the diagnostic tool is reading out the faults. Great, isn't it? There is no protocol of this update, there is no entry in the system, only Audi knows the different software versions.

Again, my car is still loud, sounds great but the sound I had at the beginning is gone, dampened and almost muted under 3000 rpm. Yes, people still hear me (even if I do not fully accelerate) from half a kilometer way but this is not the point. I want the sound my car had from the start, this is why I got it.

My Audi dealer feels very sorry (and also suspects that a "secret" update has been done...it wouldn't be the first one) and Audi knows that I am very very upset (for good reason).

Why would Audi do a secret update? Well: Apparently, there is something going on regarding exhaust sounds in Germany. BMW has done the same with the sport exhaust on the M3/M4 and even AMG with their GT-S. Customers are upset. Not sure why this is an issue now but maybe it has something to do with the rumor that German KBA (the authority responsible for the technical certification of cars in Germany) wants not only to verify emissions outputs but also noise emission levels. So maybe manufacturers got cold feet and are "adapting" now. This is a rumor.

Porsche is rumored to have done a similar thing with the 991.1 Carrera S PSE during a PDK software update. Many upset customers, German Porsche forums were full of this story. People don't take this lightly.

I will see what Audi has to say but honestly, I am very p.ss.d, even if 90% of car owners out there would probably be happy if their cars had the sound my R8 has. Please do not misunderstand me: The exhaust is loud, the infernal sound is still there but it is different and under 3000 rpm, it is almost muted. Really difficult to explain. 

Then, there is another issue I encountered during my fun drive in Italy. After a warm day and lots of driving, my brake system started to make a "pffft" sound every time I applied the brake. It was only noticeable with the windows completely open. My dealership checked the brake system (they say) and everything seems to be OK. Now I heard that "pffft" again in the garage when I parked the car and no, it doesn't come from the steering.  No warning lights, no different brake feel, brake performance is still excellent but I am a bit worried.

So here you go, amazing car but when manufacturers try to pull a stunt (software) like that, it makes me mad. Especially since I really notice even little changes.

Setting the above aside, I am still deeply in love with the car. It is so much fun to drive and feel really sad that the winter is coming... (no winter wheels for this one...Audi asks almost 8k EUR for a wheel set, no thanks, not worth it since I wouldn't drive it on snow anyway because of the reduced road clearance).

Now the more positive impressions:

- DCT is so much fun to shift manually, I barely use it in auto mode anymore (only when in serious traffic jams)

- I'm in love with the steering, I don't have a clue why some reviewers seem to hate it, it is super sharp and direct, maybe even too direct for some at certain speeds.

- Magnetic Ride is really awesome, especially on bad roads. I drove on a very bad but twisty country road and the chassis did a great job. At some occasions, I was almost sure the car will bottom out but it didn't. Very good setup. I still think however that there would be room for a third and slightly stiffer setting. Even in Dynamic/Performance mode, the chassis setup feels more comfortable than the one on the RS6 Performance I drove. Quite impressive. 

- engine is (still) a treat, throttle response is just fantastic, I will light a candle the day Audi decides to "kill" this engine.

- fuel consumption is still high (over 22 liters /100 km... angry) but this is my own fault since I always drive manually, I always "forget" to upshift early and I always drive in Dynamic (and now more and more) in Performance mode. The larger fuel tank with 83 l (luckily my car has this option) is highly recommended. Be reminded that you can drive this car at around 13 liters / 100 km only if you keep it in Comfort auto mode and below 170 kph

- oil consumption is basically zero, already drove almost 4000 km after the last oil change...

- tires (PZero) are quite good and again, I am happy I didn't get the (optional) Cup 2 tires instead. At the current outside temperatures in Germany, the PZero don't get over 40°C and you can imagine how bad this is for semi-slicks. For warmer climates with little rain, the Cup 2 are certainly the better choice but for public roads in Germany...not really.

- car still attracts a lot of (unwanted) attention but mostly in a positive way, even if I experienced some bad stuff as well lately (idiot drivers in their supped up BMW 3series or AMGs trying to race me...). Overall, my experience has been positive though, so no complaints here...yet.

- I am more and more happy with my color choice, which is a relief for me. When I chose the Suzuka Grey car, I had my doubts but it was definitely the right choice. The light color lets the carbon parts shine out, it also looks less aggressive and the titanium colored rims fit the whole grayish color perfectly. Black rims would be a bad idea in my opinion and I really love black rims. Speaking of rims: Til now, I have no scratches on them but I have to admit it is pretty difficult to pay attention. These rims, especially the front ones, have no "protection" at all (unlike the ones from other car manufacturers). Since they cost a fortune, I suggest paying attention when you park the car. I am pretty anal about rims, so I never damage them but I don't want to even think about what could happen if my wife drives this car. Luckily, she feels no desire to drive it, she is scared of it. 

- I am also still in love with the interior, the simplicity is just amazing and I didn't think I would love it so much.

- the Virtual Cockpit is also great but I still think that there must be an easier and more logical way to operate it. At times, I just choose the wrong menu, especially while driving and this sucks because it distracts too much from driving. I am also still upset that Audi chose to use the same GUI design for all Virtual Cockpit equipped models. This defies actually the purpose of such a digital dash in my opinion. A few changes here and there, especially in the design department, wouldn't have hurt. Maybe something for future updates?

Enough said...more updates over the next couple of months. wink

 

 


--

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Audi R8 V10 Plus (2017), Mini JCW (2015), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)