Crown

Lars997:

Video game --- my first thought, too RC!

Unfortunately I see more and more bad tuning attempts on luxury sports cars. It seems that there is a group of people which can buy a lot of things with their money - except - taste!

They ruin the brand reputation and perception, what a shame. 

Last weekend, I saw an old(!) R8 with a blue metallic wrap, it looked like the shiny disco blue in this photo. 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

That actually looks pretty fun and if you don't do it on an R8, what will you do it on?

SciFrog:

That actually looks pretty fun and if you don't do it on an R8, what will you do it on?

Seriously? It looked horrid.  This is not the Ara blue from Audi, this is a highly shiny (glossy) metallic blue.

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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

Well hard to say how it looks in real life...

SciFrog:

Well hard to say how it looks in real life...

Horrid...trust me. Unless you are a huge 80s disco fan and want to express that with your car. 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

I liked disco and big wings and such. The wrap is like a car tattoo And the many little wings are like piercings!  Hip hop!

(Sarcasm in stealth mode)

RC:

Lars997:

Video game --- my first thought, too RC!

Unfortunately I see more and more bad tuning attempts on luxury sports cars. It seems that there is a group of people which can buy a lot of things with their money - except - taste!

They ruin the brand reputation and perception, what a shame. 

Last weekend, I saw an old(!) R8 with a blue metallic wrap, it looked like the shiny disco blue in this photo. 

Do it RC, you will be the first in bavaria to ride in an R8 with this colour 

martini964:

RC:

Lars997:

Video game --- my first thought, too RC!

Unfortunately I see more and more bad tuning attempts on luxury sports cars. It seems that there is a group of people which can buy a lot of things with their money - except - taste!

They ruin the brand reputation and perception, what a shame. 

Last weekend, I saw an old(!) R8 with a blue metallic wrap, it looked like the shiny disco blue in this photo. 

Do it RC, you will be the first in bavaria to ride in an R8 with this colour 

Yeah, sure...not as sexy as those Martini stripes on your car though... 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

RC:

martini964:

RC:

Lars997:

Video game --- my first thought, too RC!

Unfortunately I see more and more bad tuning attempts on luxury sports cars. It seems that there is a group of people which can buy a lot of things with their money - except - taste!

They ruin the brand reputation and perception, what a shame. 

Last weekend, I saw an old(!) R8 with a blue metallic wrap, it looked like the shiny disco blue in this photo. 

Do it RC, you will be the first in bavaria to ride in an R8 with this colour 

Yeah, sure...not as sexy as those Martini stripes on your car though... 

J.Seven

What do people think of the 540 "base" version?

jamesdamanuk1:

What do people think of the 540 "base" version?

Here's the catch: Both, the V10 and V10 Plus have the same engine. Up to the latest screw. Only difference is software and yes, there are companies offering an ECU tuning to bring power "back" to the 610 hp of the Plus.

However: The non-Plus (540 hp base version) R8 has a different gearing ratio, which feels a little bit less sporty. Not really a problem though but noticeable if you drive the Plus version before it.

Worst thing of the non-Plus version is the chassis setup though. According to two reviews from German Sport Auto and AMS, Audi messed up the setup and made it way too comfortable, reminding the drivers more of a sporty sedan than sportscar. Unfortunately this is not something you can easily change because the dampers, springs and swaybars are different. Magnetic Ride won't change a thing either.

Surprisingly, many customers in the US seem to choose the non-Plus version over the Plus version because Magnetic Ride doesn't seem to be available in the US for the Plus version (which I don't know for sure but it seems that way). They claim the sport chassis is too stiff and uncomfortable.

Getting the non-Plus Spyder probably makes most sense because the Spyder isn't exactly a track car or something you would abuse and the engine still is the same and sounds divine, especially when you choose the OEM sport exhaust option. Audi will offer a Plus version of the Spyder soon (July?), so I assume prices for the non-Plus Spyder will drop when this happens. 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

Over here in the UK the R8 seems an ok buy, a well speced non plus is under 100k. The Mclaren is £137ish for the 540c which is more than a Plus would cost :-/

RC:

martini964:

RC:

Lars997:

Yeah, sure...not as sexy as those Martini stripes on your car though... 

A few weeks ago I got delivery of my "540" R8. I have read the reviews RC is referring to; but for me this "base" version is perfect. The car is very fast but at the same time very easy and smooth in day to day driving. Although I would love to drive this car (and my 911 Turbo) every day so fast I could use advanced setup but in real live this not often the case. With these cars you go very easy to highly illegal speeds. Later this year I will be at SPA and here on the track I assume you will see the difference of the different suspension modes. When I compare the 911 Turbo (not S) and the R8 I find the R8 a tiny bit slower but easier to drive. The gear box of the R8 seems to be better. The sound of the R8 is something else, very good. The new R8 is also much more agile compared to the old one. On Rennteam you always read how fast the car is etc, but seldom how the drives normal live. In the Porsche 911 Turbo when driving normal mode at 50km/h the cars goes in 7th gear at app 1000 rmp . This I really do not like, switching the car in S it shifts to 3rd of 4th gear and this is to nervous in city traffic. The R8 will go to 6th or 7th at 50 but because of higher torque easier to drive.

Over 15000 km now...no issues at all so far. I'm still happy. 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

I was in Dijon yesterday for an open pit lane track day . Great day : 28 degrees . Only 35 cars . Mix of Ferrari 488, 458, Speciale, , 430 , FF,  Porsche Turbo S,  Carrera S , GT3, GT3 RS , Nissan GT R , Nismo, BMW 3 series, Lambo Galiardo, Mini, Audi RS6 ......... and two Audi R8 Plus . 

Drove a few hot laps against one of the R8 .....  Had no chance  It pulled away so easily on any straight . In the curves , it was more or less at par ...... even if he ended up all the time sliding all over the place .... Was fun though .

The RS need 80 HP more 

 964 Carrera 4 --  997.2 C2S , -20mm --  991 GT3 RS 

Gnil:

I was in Dijon yesterday for an open pit lane track day . Great day : 28 degrees . Only 35 cars . Mix of Ferrari 488, 458, Speciale, , 430 , FF,  Porsche Turbo S,  Carrera S , GT3, GT3 RS , Nissan GT R , Nismo, BMW 3 series, Lambo Galiardo, Mini, Audi RS6 ......... and two Audi R8 Plus . 

Drove a few hot laps against one of the R8 .....  Had no chance  It pulled away so easily on any straight . In the curves , it was more or less at par ...... even if he ended up all the time sliding all over the place .... Was fun though .

The RS need 80 HP more 

I need to be honest with you... You need to train more to get an even better driver. The GT3RS is quicker than the R8 V10 Plus on all tracks (based on Sportauto) 

MKSGR:

 

I need to be honest with you... You need to train more to get an even better driver. The GT3RS is quicker than the R8 V10 Plus on all tracks (based on Sportauto) 

That's why these tests can't be taken as holy grail, they never match reality with ' normal ' drivers  who are just amateurs  .

The straight is 1100 m. The R8 pulls away like a rocket compared to the RS . Absolutely no chance .  And possible to pass the R8 in the curvy sections .

On the other hand ,  I was faster them the 488, and two out of the three Speciale and all of the other RS's    

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 964 Carrera 4 --  997.2 C2S , -20mm --  991 GT3 RS 

Gnil:

MKSGR:

 

I need to be honest with you... You need to train more to get an even better driver. The GT3RS is quicker than the R8 V10 Plus on all tracks (based on Sportauto) 

That's why these tests can't be taken as holy grail, they never match reality with ' normal ' drivers  who are just amateurs  .

The straight is 1100 m. The R8 pulls away like a rocket compared to the RS . Absolutely no chance .  And possible to pass the R8 in the curvy sections .

On the other hand ,  I was faster them the 488, and two out of the three Speciale and all of the other RS's    

 

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 964 Carrera 4 --  997.2 C2S , -20mm --  991 GT3 RS 

 

You probably know that speed on the straight is mostly determined by how fast you exit the curve leading to the straight 

MKSGR:

 

You probably know that speed on the straight is mostly determined by how fast you exit the curve leading to the straight 

I was able to gain 5 km/h by the end of the day ....... but that damm R8 Plus flew away like if he had a GT2 engine . Absolutely no chance ! 

 964 Carrera 4 --  997.2 C2S , -20mm --  991 GT3 RS 

MKSGR:

Gnil:

I was in Dijon yesterday for an open pit lane track day . Great day : 28 degrees . Only 35 cars . Mix of Ferrari 488, 458, Speciale, , 430 , FF,  Porsche Turbo S,  Carrera S , GT3, GT3 RS , Nissan GT R , Nismo, BMW 3 series, Lambo Galiardo, Mini, Audi RS6 ......... and two Audi R8 Plus . 

Drove a few hot laps against one of the R8 .....  Had no chance  It pulled away so easily on any straight . In the curves , it was more or less at par ...... even if he ended up all the time sliding all over the place .... Was fun though .

The RS need 80 HP more 

I need to be honest with you... You need to train more to get an even better driver. The GT3RS is quicker than the R8 V10 Plus on all tracks (based on Sportauto) 

Based on Sport Auto, the R8 V10 Plus testcar they had suffered under a miraculous power loss and interesting enough, they never tried to find out why. 

In a different review in comparison with the Huracan and the 991.2 Turbo S, the R8 V10 Plus did Hockenheim in 1.09,0 min. with the crappy (they have been adapted to Audi's request for a better wet performance, thus compromising dry performance, especially over a longer period of time) Audi rated Cup 2 (for comparison: Huracan in 1.07,5 with Trofeo R). The 991.1 GT3 RS did Hockenheim in 1.08,5 min. So as you can see, the differences are marginal. With the right tires, the R8 would beat quite a lot of cars but Audi marketing sucks, they don't know if they want to market the R8 as a more comfortable alternative to the Huracan or as a serious super sportscar, which is sad.

So I don't think that Gnil doesn't know how to drive but the R8 also benefits from AWD (if the driver knows how to use it) and it is a very fast car, many seem to underestimate it. 

Last but not least, maybe the driver had the Trofeo R from the Huracan (they fit the R8 rims...), so... 

I was thinking about getting the Trofeo R for my R8 but what for? Just to impress Porker and bluelines on the track?   Too expensive just for some track fun, my R8 mechanic (who also takes care of Lamborghini cars at the dealership) told me that a Huracan track enthusiast managed to finish off a set of new Trofeo R on a single track day. It is a mystery to him how he did it, it was very hot on that day though (over 36°C) but since these tires are hard to get (according to him), a set is around 3000-4000 EUR. No thanks. 

What I hate about my PZero PZ4 is that they are very tire pressure sensitive. If I lower tire pressure to the minimum level (under 270 kph), they are really good and fun. As soon as I go up with the pressure to drive faster on the Autobahn, they suck. I can basically slide my way through curves but this is not the way I want to drive. Also, there is more understeer with the higher pressure. With the lower one, the behavior is quite neutral.

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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

Gnil:

I was in Dijon yesterday for an open pit lane track day . Great day : 28 degrees . Only 35 cars . Mix of Ferrari 488, 458, Speciale, , 430 , FF,  Porsche Turbo S,  Carrera S , GT3, GT3 RS , Nissan GT R , Nismo, BMW 3 series, Lambo Galiardo, Mini, Audi RS6 ......... and two Audi R8 Plus . 

Drove a few hot laps against one of the R8 .....  Had no chance  It pulled away so easily on any straight . In the curves , it was more or less at par ...... even if he ended up all the time sliding all over the place .... Was fun though .

The RS need 80 HP more 

How on earth did you manage to attend an open pit lane trackday?? There's work, family, stocks, there's absolutely no time left! 

1992 Mercedes-Benz W124 500E / 2003 BMW M3 CSL (sold) / 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RS / 2014 BMW-Alpina D3 biturbo Touring / 2014 BMW-Alpina B3 biturbo Touring Allrad

Porker:

Gnil:

I was in Dijon yesterday for an open pit lane track day . Great day : 28 degrees . Only 35 cars . Mix of Ferrari 488, 458, Speciale, , 430 , FF,  Porsche Turbo S,  Carrera S , GT3, GT3 RS , Nissan GT R , Nismo, BMW 3 series, Lambo Galiardo, Mini, Audi RS6 ......... and two Audi R8 Plus . 

Drove a few hot laps against one of the R8 .....  Had no chance  It pulled away so easily on any straight . In the curves , it was more or less at par ...... even if he ended up all the time sliding all over the place .... Was fun though .

The RS need 80 HP more 

How on earth did you manage to attend an open pit lane trackday?? There's work, family, stocks, there's absolutely no time left! 

He is a genius.  

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

Porker:

Gnil:

I was in Dijon yesterday for an open pit lane track day . Great day : 28 degrees . Only 35 cars . Mix of Ferrari 488, 458, Speciale, , 430 , FF,  Porsche Turbo S,  Carrera S , GT3, GT3 RS , Nissan GT R , Nismo, BMW 3 series, Lambo Galiardo, Mini, Audi RS6 ......... and two Audi R8 Plus . 

Drove a few hot laps against one of the R8 .....  Had no chance  It pulled away so easily on any straight . In the curves , it was more or less at par ...... even if he ended up all the time sliding all over the place .... Was fun though .

The RS need 80 HP more 

How on earth did you manage to attend an open pit lane trackday?? There's work, family, stocks, there's absolutely no time left! 

That''s right I wasn't there . Just day dreaming from the office 

 964 Carrera 4 --  997.2 C2S , -20mm --  991 GT3 RS 

BTW : To me this shows also how misleading these test times are . They are done in ideal conditions, with professional drivers, and with an empty track .  At the end, the differences between an RS an R8 + or TTS is half a second . 

Driving behind a car that is thematically half a second slower then your in hands of professional , makes it impossible to over take it . You get stuck behind . Unless you are willing to put your car and the other's car at a very high risk of crashing .  What you might gain in some parts of a track ( like slower curves with the RS ) you loose it instantly when there is a straight because of the extra power of the R8 . ..... and so on .

So, in real life, these differences are minor .

Another example :  on the long straight 1.1 km .  The RS is exactly the same speed a GT3 . No difference .  Difference gets only once you hit the big right curb because of greater downforce . 

Another example :  With 2 fairly good drivers, a Turbo S is also faster over an entire lap then an RS . Because of the extra pulling power out of the curves and the extra speed on the straights . ( taking into consideration driving behind each other and that means leaving a safety margin , which you always will in normale real world driving events ) 

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 964 Carrera 4 --  997.2 C2S , -20mm --  991 GT3 RS 

MKSGR:

You probably know that speed on the straight is mostly determined by how fast you exit the curve leading to the straight 

Depends on the car 

On my track during open lapping, there is no passing in the corners, only on straights, nothing touches the 918 in straight line acceleration out of corners, if I am an asshole and don't lift on the straights, everyone would be stuck behind me

Whoopsy:

MKSGR:

You probably know that speed on the straight is mostly determined by how fast you exit the curve leading to the straight 

 

Depends on the car 

On my track during open lapping, there is no passing in the corners, only on straights, nothing touches the 918 in straight line acceleration out of corners, if I am an asshole and don't lift on the straights, everyone would be stuck behind me

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)

Gnil:

BTW : To me this shows also how misleading these test times are . They are done in ideal conditions, with professional drivers, and with an empty track .  At the end, the differences between an RS an R8 + or TTS is half a second . 

 

My experience is that the test times (used to be) not misleading: I cannot replicate the time Sportauto achieves, as I am a bit slower, unfortunately... However, if one car is 1s faster than another I can nearly identically replicate the time difference, if you know what I mean. Thus, for me the lap times used to be very relevant  Also, they tell you a lot about how a  car will feel on public roads as well (driving precision and track performance seem closely related, based on my experience) 

Whoopsy:

MKSGR:

You probably know that speed on the straight is mostly determined by how fast you exit the curve leading to the straight 

 

Depends on the car 

On my track during open lapping, there is no passing in the corners, only on straights, nothing touches the 918 in straight line acceleration out of corners, if I am an asshole and don't lift on the straights, everyone would be stuck behind me

That is true  If the power difference is large enough the curves are less relevant if you don't spin the car 

Gnil:

BTW : To me this shows also how misleading these test times are . They are done in ideal conditions, with professional drivers, and with an empty track .  At the end, the differences between an RS an R8 + or TTS is half a second . 

Driving behind a car that is thematically half a second slower then your in hands of professional , makes it impossible to over take it . You get stuck behind . Unless you are willing to put your car and the other's car at a very high risk of crashing .  What you might gain in some parts of a track ( like slower curves with the RS ) you loose it instantly when there is a straight because of the extra power of the R8 . ..... and so on .

So, in real life, these differences are minor .

Another example :  on the long straight 1.1 km .  The RS is exactly the same speed a GT3 . No difference .  Difference gets only once you hit the big right curb because of greater downforce . 

Another example :  With 2 fairly good drivers, a Turbo S is also faster over an entire lap then an RS . Because of the extra pulling power out of the curves and the extra speed on the straights . ( taking into consideration driving behind each other and that means leaving a safety margin , which you always will in normale real world driving events ) 

--

 

 964 Carrera 4 --  997.2 C2S , -20mm --  991 GT3 RS 

 

I noticed on trackdays at Spa that a Turbo S on Cup tires is a real weapon. You do notice it's hard on brakes and tires and hence perhaps not very enjoyable to drive, but over 2-3 laps it is really really fast.

1992 Mercedes-Benz W124 500E / 2003 BMW M3 CSL (sold) / 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RS / 2014 BMW-Alpina D3 biturbo Touring / 2014 BMW-Alpina B3 biturbo Touring Allrad