New C8 or used R8 or......

[R N M]

I love the styling of the 1st gen R8 - it’s just incredible car.

The C8 and manual Supra you can get later on.

Not sure of your budget but if you want manual car that is perfect then the 991.2 GT3 is the way to go.

If your budget is a bit less then I would get either: 991.1 GTS, 991.2 GTS or 991.2 T.
The hard thing on the used 911s is finding the right spec as there are so many options. To me full leather, sport chrono, 18 way Seats and Rear wheel steering were a must when i got my 911 T.

[SoCal_NSX]

Originally Posted by R N M

I love the styling of the 1st gen R8 - it’s just incredible car.

The C8 and manual Supra you can get later on.

Not sure of your budget but if you want manual car that is perfect then the 991.2 GT3 is the way to go.

If your budget is a bit less then I would get either: 991.1 GTS, 991.2 GTS or 991.2 T.
The hard thing on the used 911s is finding the right spec as there are so many options. To me full leather, sport chrono, 18 way Seats and Rear wheel steering were a must when i got my 911 T.

wish I had the budget for a manual 991 GT3....I could get two of the cars on my short list


would love a 991 GT3 manual, but if I can find a clean gated R8 in my budget I will be a happy camper

[SoCal_NSX]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

I realize this will be unpopular choice among the forum purist crowd, but if it were me I think I'd get a new C8. I have contemplated both choices (used R8 and new C8) and came to the conclusion "if" one could get (find) a base C8 - for at or near sticker price - it would be one helluva' bargain bang for the buck. Moreover, a used R8 is a little dated IMO from the perspective of technology. Don't get me wrong though, because I recognize the R8 (especially the later V10 variant) is also one helluva' capable car in almost any arena. However, the C8 lets you "laugh all the way to the bank", and if one were to purchase a new, base C8 at a decent price, the factory warranty provides some peace of mind. A low mileage, used C8, could also be considered IMO.

Come to SoCal, there are plenty of C8's on the market these days, 155 used ones and 97 new ones in a 100 mile radius of me right now in fact and some amazing deals to be had, but that is part of the problem is that it isn't very rare and will likely depreciate the most of the cars I have listed, but it is probably the best bang for the buck sports car out there and no wonder there are so many out there to choose from....it is still on my short list of cars to consider though for sure...some dealers are even selling Z06 ones for close to MSRP riight now.

Definitely a buyers market right now

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Two choices imho.

The R8 gated would be fantastic but if i do remember correctly there's a huge, huge issue with the front end where it fails at a join in the chassis, it's like a $20K fix. Sorry does someone have a link to my gibberish?

https://www.r8talk.com/threads/struc...warning.10169/

https://carltonbale.com/definitive-g...le%20vehicles.

[baege]

OP, have you driven an R8?
I know you enjoy the porsche experience and I think you might feel a little let down going from the dynamic fun nature of a small porsche to the heavy feel of an R8

I looked hard at gated R8's but the last one I drove which was a 2012 gated v10, I got back in the M2 comp I had at the time and said to myself, all I really prefer about that R8 is that INSANE V10, if only I could put that engine in my M2 (that's literally what I thought)

R8's are big, heavy cars that don't have the dynamic feel of a bmw or a porsche, they just aren't driver's cars as much

sounds like you have a real emotional attachment to the R8, which I never had so it still might be the right choice for you but you need to drive one back to back with a porsche and see if it still speaks to you

[jeff113]

I'm with baege on this one. I considered an R8 V10 for a while, but realized it would not satisfy me like a GT4 or GT3 (or almost any NA Porsche for that matter).

[dgoldenz]

I was pretty let down by my gen 2 R8 V10 test drive. I liked it but I wasn't blown away which meant it was a little disappointing. Maybe an aftermarket exhaust would wake it up and change my mind. The virtual cockpit seemed out of place, I'd rather see an analog tach when I'm revving to 8500 RPM. Obv the older gen doesn't have the virtual cockpit.

[SoCal_NSX]

Originally Posted by baege

OP, have you driven an R8?
I know you enjoy the porsche experience and I think you might feel a little let down going from the dynamic fun nature of a small porsche to the heavy feel of an R8

I looked hard at gated R8's but the last one I drove which was a 2012 gated v10, I got back in the M2 comp I had at the time and said to myself, all I really prefer about that R8 is that INSANE V10, if only I could put that engine in my M2 (that's literally what I thought)

R8's are big, heavy cars that don't have the dynamic feel of a bmw or a porsche, they just aren't driver's cars as much

sounds like you have a real emotional attachment to the R8, which I never had so it still might be the right choice for you but you need to drive one back to back with a porsche and see if it still speaks to you

yeah, it is much heavier than my current 718, but very similar in weight to the 992 these days...the Gen 1 R8 4.2 has similar lap times to both 991-992 911's

I'm not gonna be tracking it much if any, but as you can see it is a very capable car around a track.

To me at this point after daily driving a car that accelerates like a bat out of hell(M3P) it's not about HP and lap times much anymore, it's about just scratching an itch and ejoying different cars...The original R8 has always been one of my dream cars and still just has that "it factor" that only the GT3 -GT4 Porsches have...

The timeless design and iconic stature reminds me of my old NSX's and still captures my attention when I see one in the wild

[Alfisti]

See I just see an A7 with a V8

[P1]

How about an R8 GT? Bit nicer than a regular R8.

[murderspice]

Originally Posted by SoCal_NSX

.

To me at this point after daily driving a car that accelerates like a bat out of hell(M3P) it's not about HP and lap times much anymore, it's about just scratching an itch and ejoying different cars...

To me, the r8 is the only car mentioned that isnt a track-focused production car.

[baege]

Originally Posted by SoCal_NSX

yeah, it is much heavier than my current 718, but very similar in weight to the 992 these days...the Gen 1 R8 4.2 has similar lap times to both 991-992 911's

I'm not gonna be tracking it much if any, but as you can see it is a very capable car around a track.

To me at this point after daily driving a car that accelerates like a bat out of hell(M3P) it's not about HP and lap times much anymore, it's about just scratching an itch and ejoying different cars...The original R8 has always been one of my dream cars and still just has that "it factor" that only the GT3 -GT4 Porsches have...

The timeless design and iconic stature reminds me of my old NSX's and still captures my attention when I see one in the wild

did you drive the R8 when you had your 981 or 718?

Sounds to me like the R8 is a scratch you need to itch...

[BlkGS]

I didn't see a clear budget, but if you're looking at used r8s or a new c8, I'd skip both of those and go for something more raw. Get a C6Z06 or ZR1, or if budget allows, a Viper GTS. They're never gonna make a car like the Viper again, and you're only going to make money owning one of them. If you can find and afford a manual C7 ZR1, that's another great "never going to be made again" car that will only go up in value.

Or, if you want to make a total left field choice, an E46 M3 with a manual, or an E39 M5 will both be cars that just keep going up in value, especially with low miles (assuming you don't buy one that's already overpriced). E60 M5 manual would be a good choice here too.

[SoCal_NSX]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

I didn't see a clear budget, but if you're looking at used r8s or a new c8, I'd skip both of those and go for something more raw. Get a C6Z06 or ZR1, or if budget allows, a Viper GTS. They're never gonna make a car like the Viper again, and you're only going to make money owning one of them. If you can find and afford a manual C7 ZR1, that's another great "never going to be made again" car that will only go up in value.

Or, if you want to make a total left field choice, an E46 M3 with a manual, or an E39 M5 will both be cars that just keep going up in value, especially with low miles (assuming you don't buy one that's already overpriced). E60 M5 manual would be a good choice here too.

all of those are great cars, but none of them really wow anybody when you see one on the road or have been mentioned as a "supercar" before. Like I said earlier, my Tesla has ruined me when it comes to ICE cars when it comes to pure acceleration and torque, so at this point, I think my mind is set on a car that hits me emotionally when you just come out to the garage and see it.

My budget is about $75K tops which unlocks a lot of great cars these days, but I think it just goes back to my fist love, the mid engine icon that stole my heart as kid, the iconic NSX....The R8 picked up where the original NSX left off and became kinda like what the NSX should have evolved into....and right now, you can get a much better value in a 30K mile V8 manual R8 then you can get with the the original NSX these days....I found this video interesting while researching the gen 1 R8 and you can just tell by both guys reaction and body language immediately what car gives him more satisfaction. Was lucky enough to have three different NSX's over the last 20+ years and miss them dearly...I think the R8 will bring that emotional attachment that I had with the original NSX but a bit of a step up and completley different, yet very similar at the same time. I've recently decided to forget about all the other cars I mentioned and just focus on hunting down a gated manual R8

[x622]

Originally Posted by SoCal_NSX

all of those are great cars, but none of them really wow anybody when you see one on the road or have been mentioned as a "supercar" before. Like I said earlier, my Tesla has ruined me when it comes to ICE cars when it comes to pure acceleration and torque, so at this point, I think my mind is set on a car that hits me emotionally when you just come out to the garage and see it.

My budget is about $75K tops which unlocks a lot of great cars these days, but I think it just goes back to my fist love, the mid engine icon that stole my heart as kid, the iconic NSX....The R8 picked up where the original NSX left off and became kinda like what the NSX should have evolved into....and right now, you can get a much better value in a 30K mile V8 manual R8 then you can get with the the original NSX these days....I found this video interesting while researching the gen 1 R8 and you can just tell by both guys reaction and body language immediately what car gives him more satisfaction. Was lucky enough to have three different NSX's over the last 20+ years and miss them dearly...I think the R8 will bring that emotional attachment that I had with the original NSX but a bit of a step up and completley different, yet very similar at the same time. I've recently decided to forget about all the other cars I mentioned and just focus on hunting down a gated manual R8

100%. I love my s2000 more than any of my cars, or anything I've ever driven. It might not be as fast, but I love just beating the everloving shit out of it. It's so rewarding to drive and it just isn't the same in "faster" cars.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by SoCal_NSX

all of those are great cars, but none of them really wow anybody when you see one on the road or have been mentioned as a "supercar" before. Like I said earlier, my Tesla has ruined me when it comes to ICE cars when it comes to pure acceleration and torque, so at this point, I think my mind is set on a car that hits me emotionally when you just come out to the garage and see it.

My budget is about $75K tops which unlocks a lot of great cars these days, but I think it just goes back to my fist love, the mid engine icon that stole my heart as kid, the iconic NSX....The R8 picked up where the original NSX left off and became kinda like what the NSX should have evolved into....and right now, you can get a much better value in a 30K mile V8 manual R8 then you can get with the the original NSX these days....I found this video interesting while researching the gen 1 R8 and you can just tell by both guys reaction and body language immediately what car gives him more satisfaction. Was lucky enough to have three different NSX's over the last 20+ years and miss them dearly...I think the R8 will bring that emotional attachment that I had with the original NSX but a bit of a step up and completley different, yet very similar at the same time. I've recently decided to forget about all the other cars I mentioned and just focus on hunting down a gated manual R8

Different strokes for different folks I guess. The R8 was super common and was always the cut rate Gallardo, so they never really did anything for me. A viper has 1000x more presence and wow factor than an R8, they were/are everywhere in FL.

If you want a first gen NSX, absolutely get one of those. You won't lose a dime on it.

[chassis]

Originally Posted by SoCal_NSX

I've recently decided to forget about all the other cars I mentioned and just focus on hunting down a gated manual R8

Nice black spyder automatic on BaT now, in your price range.

[SoCal_NSX]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Different strokes for different folks I guess. The R8 was super common and was always the cut rate Gallardo, so they never really did anything for me. A viper has 1000x more presence and wow factor than an R8, they were/are everywhere in FL.

If you want a first gen NSX, absolutely get one of those. You won't lose a dime on it.

like I said, I already had three NA1's and made money every time, but they are overpriced these days imo and it's about trying something different...the Viper never did it for me, never was a fan of the giant elongated hood and dated looks...like you said, different strokes, the Viper has zero wow factor to me...I like the mid engine with the cab forward designs...You should get one if you like them though, you can find low mile examples in the $30-40K range these days, not bad if you are into them

[SoCal_NSX]

Originally Posted by chassis

Nice black spyder automatic on BaT now, in your price range.

thanks, but I don't like the Spyder at all and have ruled out the automatics for now anyways. I made the mistake of buying my first Cayman( a 981 Cayman S) with PDK and got bored pretty quickly with it.

[SoCal_NSX]

Originally Posted by x622

100%. I love my s2000 more than any of my cars, or anything I've ever driven. It might not be as fast, but I love just beating the everloving shit out of it. It's so rewarding to drive and it just isn't the same in "faster" cars.

Funny thing is, the S2K is what got me thinking about selling the 718 in the first place and replacing it with something a little more economical, but I am not very financially responsible as it turns out

I would love to have one in my garage someday though

[c1pher]

Every time I think about an R8, I always go back to thinking I could have the Lamborghini instead. I absolutely love my 911. While 997 is a great car, they are hard to find since relatively so few were built. You can get a better deal on a newer 991 (same trim and condition) seems counterintuitive but true. I just saw another C8 seemingly falling apart with trim paint scraping off due to panel misalignment. Not sure what the quality controls issues are but don’t seem to be as good as the C7 was.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by SoCal_NSX

like I said, I already had three NA1's and made money every time, but they are overpriced these days imo and it's about trying something different...the Viper never did it for me, never was a fan of the giant elongated hood and dated looks...like you said, different strokes, the Viper has zero wow factor to me...I like the mid engine with the cab forward designs...You should get one if you like them though, you can find low mile examples in the $30-40K range these days, not bad if you are into them

My days of 2 seat cars are over for at least 13.5 years, lol. Thats when my son will be 16 and could start driving himself and his sister until then, my 2 seaters sit in the garage

The R8 never felt like an NSX to me in any way but being sort of underpowered. The NAX felt light and nimble, the R8 heavy and understeery. If it's on your mind engine bingo card I get it, but it's gonna be less fun to drive than like all the other options.

Have you considered an Evora? It's like a mix of an NSX and a Cayman but without the attention to detail and perfectionism. Maybe a Cayman R? Porsche never really let loose with the Cayman until recently, but rare Porsches always go up in value.

If you really want the R8 I'm sure you'll enjoy checking it off the bingo card, just thinking about other similar midengien stuff.