TLDR: Everything you would hope. Incredible performance. Great looks. Insane sound. Surprisingly comfortable. Some nice features. Loving it. More to come… :driving:
Pics are here: https://imgur.com/a/nK8y7ZD and at the bottom of the post.
Hi everyone,
This turned into a long one. I hope you enjoy.
I have been passionate about cars since I can remember. It was the first thing I remember being passionate about and has remained one of my greatest passions. In particular, sports and supercars. I spend endless hours on YouTube salivating over them.
By my mid 20s I was saving up to get into a Z4 and after a bigger than expected pay rise I was fortunate enough to get into a Z4MR. Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/THWif. It has been an incredible experience with the peak being a 4,000 mile drive around the mountains of Western Europe. Videos here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NQ3PK1hNLo and here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avfePZHgyXQ. Yes, I still have it
I have been debating a step up for the last year or so. The full journey is a bit of a story but the short version is that last week I finally did it and bought this Audi R8 Spyder - 2010, V10, Manual in Sepang Blue with Black Leather and the options I cared about.
In this post I am sharing my (on reflection, apparently considerable) initial impressions. If you would like to know more about the car, my journey to getting it or anything else please let me know.
So, my initial impressions:
DRIVING:
Power - Naturally a significant step up from the Z4M and you can feel the difference in the acceleration. Quite simply, you are moving a lot faster a lot sooner – that sounds obvious but sometimes the most obvious things are overlooked and can be the most impactful. Specifically, when you are hurtling towards a corner with more weight, with more width, lower down and at higher speed than you are used to, you notice it and your adrenaline pumps. However, the difference in the acceleration is less pronounced than I expected and I think this is because of the way the power is delivered. Specifically, to me the Z4M feels more 'raw' where the R8 is more 'smooth' or ‘progressive’. It may be that I am not yet driving it that hard or in the sportiest setup, but it feels like the accelerator pedal mapping is more progressive where the M felt more sharp. Additionally – and I don't know if this is due to the engine being behind rather than in front, the type of engine, the 4WD or the weight – but the R8 feels more like a 'wave' or 'surge' of power vs the Z4M feeling a bit sharper but a lesser sense of thick/weighty momentum. It just keeps building in the R8. The Z4M would shock me for a second and then I would be accustomed. The R8 is more like a rollercoaster that just keeps piling on the speed and you find yourself screaming after 3 seconds rather than immediately.
Handling - to be honest, it is too early and I am too amateur a driver to be able to pull it apart in a forensic, academic way. However, my regular human perspective may still be insightful. My biggest surprise is with the mag-ride suspension. The R8 is considerably more compliant and comfortable than the Z4M. Even once firmed up you can still feel the mag-ride there - you are suspended by firm liquid rather than solid springs. Whether this is desirable is subjective to the person and context. It is brilliant for when you want the smoother ride as you cruise across country or navigate a town, but I think you don't get quite the same connection when you are going for it vs. the Z4M. That said - there are other things that heighten the experience such as the speed (more above) and noise (more below). It’s definitely a big net ‘gain’ in terms of experience so I will take the added comfort. Otherwise, steering and brakes are I am sure different, but I am yet to really pull it apart. I will likely retrim the steering wheel to get closer to the chunky M wheel.
Sound - perhaps the most important thing to me in terms of eliciting a deep emotional reaction. My Z4M has a non-OEM exhaust and the same is true of the R8. Both sound great in different ways but the R8 is considerably more special. The Z4M first – the i6 NA engine sounds great, especially with an upgraded intake. The roar of the engine is the highlight of the Z4M sound for me. The exhaust is also great. Mine came with a Hayward and Scott exhaust. I later had stock but had to go back having become to accustomed to the H&S. The upsides are that it is louder and gives it more mid-tones in the lower revs and amplified the rasp and made it more raw in the higher revs. The downside is that it drones. Next, to the R8. This has a Top Gear F1 Valved exhaust. When closed it is relatively quiet, delivering a low, deep but muffled rumble. You know the power is there, but it is non-intrusive. Great for cruising. Once the valves are open you have a deep, throaty rumble in the low revs, an exciting raw in the mids and a ferocious, roaring scream in the high revs. It sounds exhilarating on the open road and scary in a tunnel. It is incredible. I will try and capture it on video.
EXTERIOR:
I loved the original R8 coupe when it launched. I remember seeing a black V8 Coupe for the first time turning a tight city corner and it looked extremely cool. The black paint, carbon blades and LED running lights giving it a low, powerful, panther-like presence. The V8 sounding menacing. I was wowed. I still feel that presence when I see a black V8 Coupe today. Other colours don’t conjure the same memories or emotions. The V10 Coupe also doesn’t have the same impact. The small differences giving it a slightly more rounded and less sleek look to my eyes. I still turn my head when I see one, but it doesn’t blow me away like the black panther I saw 12 years ago.
I have a thing for convertibles/roadsters/spyders. The exposure to the elements. Driving the road and experiencing the environment and the car. Heightened sensations of sight, sound and smell. I also love the looks of a drop-top. This is true for the R8 as much as many. While it loses its iconic side-blades, it gains a set of ‘fins’ across its back, in two silver spines that complement the silvery shimmer of the fuel cap, tail pipes, wheels, and contrast the black aerodynamic features at the front and rear of the car. In V10 form it looks as sleek and menacing as the V8 Coupe, but with a different presence. The alloys and V10 distinguishing it, along with more subtle touches. Letting you know it is something special and serious. It may not be as dramatic or beautiful as an Italian supercar (the 458 Spyder being my personal dream), but it remains special to me.
I could go on. To save this being any longer than it already is – I love the somewhat subtle but still impactful waves and ‘hips’ over the wheel arches. I love the alloys – although I am going to get mine cleaned up and refinished without the polish chrome look (a bit too bling for me). I love the front lights – the eyes of the car, and the LED running lights. It looks best with the roof down and spoiler up, but still looks good with the roof up.
The colour choice was an easy one for me. Its subjective of course, but I don’t think red works that well on the car. The black is good but I think you lose sight of the subtle shapes and the contrast vs the aero features. Silver isn’t for me. The white is nice and I was considering it, but the silver ‘fins’ and wheels have less presence as they lose contrast. The dark/grey/charcoal looks great and I would have tested one if there was one available – although it is perhaps too subtle for me (the R8 doesn’t have the swoops of a Ferrari or edges of a Lambo to maintain presence in a flatter colour). The blue to me is beautiful. Bright, yet rich. It makes me think of the tropical ocean. Echoing memories of the vivid pictures Pixar delivered in Nemo. Flickering in the light and drawing you in. It contrasts both the silver and black on the car and strikes a nice balance of stand out beauty that I think any supercar needs, without being outlandish or brash. I love it.
INTERIOR:
I sat in a V8 Coupe last year and the interior turned me off the car. It was black leather, with all features in black leather. Stitching was black and so was the paint. The switch gear and dials are smart and solid, but not beautiful and – against all the black – seem boring. Most importantly, after the Z4M the interior felt too spacious. The distances from left to right and from wind to rear screen (over the ‘parcel shelf’) felt comparatively vast, almost like a lounge after the R8 and I felt less connected to the car and the environment as a result.
I was nervous I would find the same with the V10 Spyder but was delighted when I didn’t. There are several differences that to me explain this. First and most importantly, in the Spyder you lose the ‘parcel shelf’ behind the seats that gave it an airiness. It sounds like a small thing, but the interior in the Spyder felt intimate again. I think the roof line is slightly lower as well and the roof shape a bit tighter which may add to the sensation of being central and connected. Secondly, for me a few important options considerably elevate the cabin. Primarily the carbon ‘sigma’ interior details. I don’t buy into the trend of covering everything in carbon, but the few elements in this interior lift it above your average A4 and make it special. Another subtle but to me impactful option is the white/silver/titanium contrast stitching. It is one of those small things that I think makes a big impact.
Otherwise, I am happy with the interior. The seats aren’t as exciting and beautifully sculpted as some newer seats – but still look good to my eyes (thank you again to the contrast stitching) and are comfortable and supportive. The manual gated gear stick is of course famous and certainly a stand-out feature in both design as well as the mechanical tactility and engagement it delivers. The switch gear are all fine. Not beautiful or special, but solid, smart and add to the organic and mechanical feel. Surprisingly, the wiper/light/cruise stalks don’t feel as solid as the ones on the Z4M. Not that important but less impressive none the less.
I nearly forgot one of my favourite features of the car! The ability to drop the rear window. Meaning that even with the roof up you can be exposed to both the sound of the engine and exhaust – right behind your head, and the sounds and smells of the environment around you. It is brilliant.
The front luggage compartment is small. No doubt it would be better to have more space. I could take the Z4M away for weeks, which will be much harder in the R8. But when it’s a NA, manual V10 Spyder this to me becomes near irrelevant. I’ll make it work!
OWNERSHIP:
There’s no getting away from the costs. Being one of the last NA, manual V10 500+bhp cars for relatively moderate purchase and running costs, I consider it a relative bargain and reasonably ‘safe’/low depreciation risk expenditure. However, it was still a huge amount of money to spend in one go and I am aware (and ready) for the running costs. It is by far the most I have ever spent outside of a house and I had to take a huge brave pill to be able to do it, that took me a few weeks to swallow before I committed. To be frank, I am glad to have owned it for a week or two now as I am starting to get accustomed to the car and build some distance from the expenditure, and so can enjoy it rather than constantly worry about it.
Another major concern is the negative environmental impact of the car. I am very conscious of climate change and the negative human impact on nature (another love of mine). To keep things short – I have been learning about how to calculate and offset your carbon footprint (and broader environmental impact). There are websites that can estimate your carbon footprint and tell you where you can donate to in order to ‘offset’ it. Truthfully, I think we should just not do bad things. Rather than do something bad and then offset it. It makes me feel guilty. But this is a childhood dream, I have worked hard for it and I have had a really tough 18 months so I am letting myself enjoy this and planning to over-compensate to try and make a net-positive impact. If I can’t afford to do this, I shouldn’t have the car.
It is too early to comment on ownership otherwise. I am holding my breath and hoping for the best. The car has a full history with all in order and feels great.
If you read all of this – thank you. I hope you found it entertaining and/or insightful.
Pics:
Pics are here: https://imgur.com/a/nK8y7ZD and at the bottom of the post.
Hi everyone,
This turned into a long one. I hope you enjoy.
I have been passionate about cars since I can remember. It was the first thing I remember being passionate about and has remained one of my greatest passions. In particular, sports and supercars. I spend endless hours on YouTube salivating over them.
By my mid 20s I was saving up to get into a Z4 and after a bigger than expected pay rise I was fortunate enough to get into a Z4MR. Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/THWif. It has been an incredible experience with the peak being a 4,000 mile drive around the mountains of Western Europe. Videos here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NQ3PK1hNLo and here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avfePZHgyXQ. Yes, I still have it
I have been debating a step up for the last year or so. The full journey is a bit of a story but the short version is that last week I finally did it and bought this Audi R8 Spyder - 2010, V10, Manual in Sepang Blue with Black Leather and the options I cared about.
In this post I am sharing my (on reflection, apparently considerable) initial impressions. If you would like to know more about the car, my journey to getting it or anything else please let me know.
So, my initial impressions:
DRIVING:
Power - Naturally a significant step up from the Z4M and you can feel the difference in the acceleration. Quite simply, you are moving a lot faster a lot sooner – that sounds obvious but sometimes the most obvious things are overlooked and can be the most impactful. Specifically, when you are hurtling towards a corner with more weight, with more width, lower down and at higher speed than you are used to, you notice it and your adrenaline pumps. However, the difference in the acceleration is less pronounced than I expected and I think this is because of the way the power is delivered. Specifically, to me the Z4M feels more 'raw' where the R8 is more 'smooth' or ‘progressive’. It may be that I am not yet driving it that hard or in the sportiest setup, but it feels like the accelerator pedal mapping is more progressive where the M felt more sharp. Additionally – and I don't know if this is due to the engine being behind rather than in front, the type of engine, the 4WD or the weight – but the R8 feels more like a 'wave' or 'surge' of power vs the Z4M feeling a bit sharper but a lesser sense of thick/weighty momentum. It just keeps building in the R8. The Z4M would shock me for a second and then I would be accustomed. The R8 is more like a rollercoaster that just keeps piling on the speed and you find yourself screaming after 3 seconds rather than immediately.
Handling - to be honest, it is too early and I am too amateur a driver to be able to pull it apart in a forensic, academic way. However, my regular human perspective may still be insightful. My biggest surprise is with the mag-ride suspension. The R8 is considerably more compliant and comfortable than the Z4M. Even once firmed up you can still feel the mag-ride there - you are suspended by firm liquid rather than solid springs. Whether this is desirable is subjective to the person and context. It is brilliant for when you want the smoother ride as you cruise across country or navigate a town, but I think you don't get quite the same connection when you are going for it vs. the Z4M. That said - there are other things that heighten the experience such as the speed (more above) and noise (more below). It’s definitely a big net ‘gain’ in terms of experience so I will take the added comfort. Otherwise, steering and brakes are I am sure different, but I am yet to really pull it apart. I will likely retrim the steering wheel to get closer to the chunky M wheel.
Sound - perhaps the most important thing to me in terms of eliciting a deep emotional reaction. My Z4M has a non-OEM exhaust and the same is true of the R8. Both sound great in different ways but the R8 is considerably more special. The Z4M first – the i6 NA engine sounds great, especially with an upgraded intake. The roar of the engine is the highlight of the Z4M sound for me. The exhaust is also great. Mine came with a Hayward and Scott exhaust. I later had stock but had to go back having become to accustomed to the H&S. The upsides are that it is louder and gives it more mid-tones in the lower revs and amplified the rasp and made it more raw in the higher revs. The downside is that it drones. Next, to the R8. This has a Top Gear F1 Valved exhaust. When closed it is relatively quiet, delivering a low, deep but muffled rumble. You know the power is there, but it is non-intrusive. Great for cruising. Once the valves are open you have a deep, throaty rumble in the low revs, an exciting raw in the mids and a ferocious, roaring scream in the high revs. It sounds exhilarating on the open road and scary in a tunnel. It is incredible. I will try and capture it on video.
EXTERIOR:
I loved the original R8 coupe when it launched. I remember seeing a black V8 Coupe for the first time turning a tight city corner and it looked extremely cool. The black paint, carbon blades and LED running lights giving it a low, powerful, panther-like presence. The V8 sounding menacing. I was wowed. I still feel that presence when I see a black V8 Coupe today. Other colours don’t conjure the same memories or emotions. The V10 Coupe also doesn’t have the same impact. The small differences giving it a slightly more rounded and less sleek look to my eyes. I still turn my head when I see one, but it doesn’t blow me away like the black panther I saw 12 years ago.
I have a thing for convertibles/roadsters/spyders. The exposure to the elements. Driving the road and experiencing the environment and the car. Heightened sensations of sight, sound and smell. I also love the looks of a drop-top. This is true for the R8 as much as many. While it loses its iconic side-blades, it gains a set of ‘fins’ across its back, in two silver spines that complement the silvery shimmer of the fuel cap, tail pipes, wheels, and contrast the black aerodynamic features at the front and rear of the car. In V10 form it looks as sleek and menacing as the V8 Coupe, but with a different presence. The alloys and V10 distinguishing it, along with more subtle touches. Letting you know it is something special and serious. It may not be as dramatic or beautiful as an Italian supercar (the 458 Spyder being my personal dream), but it remains special to me.
I could go on. To save this being any longer than it already is – I love the somewhat subtle but still impactful waves and ‘hips’ over the wheel arches. I love the alloys – although I am going to get mine cleaned up and refinished without the polish chrome look (a bit too bling for me). I love the front lights – the eyes of the car, and the LED running lights. It looks best with the roof down and spoiler up, but still looks good with the roof up.
The colour choice was an easy one for me. Its subjective of course, but I don’t think red works that well on the car. The black is good but I think you lose sight of the subtle shapes and the contrast vs the aero features. Silver isn’t for me. The white is nice and I was considering it, but the silver ‘fins’ and wheels have less presence as they lose contrast. The dark/grey/charcoal looks great and I would have tested one if there was one available – although it is perhaps too subtle for me (the R8 doesn’t have the swoops of a Ferrari or edges of a Lambo to maintain presence in a flatter colour). The blue to me is beautiful. Bright, yet rich. It makes me think of the tropical ocean. Echoing memories of the vivid pictures Pixar delivered in Nemo. Flickering in the light and drawing you in. It contrasts both the silver and black on the car and strikes a nice balance of stand out beauty that I think any supercar needs, without being outlandish or brash. I love it.
INTERIOR:
I sat in a V8 Coupe last year and the interior turned me off the car. It was black leather, with all features in black leather. Stitching was black and so was the paint. The switch gear and dials are smart and solid, but not beautiful and – against all the black – seem boring. Most importantly, after the Z4M the interior felt too spacious. The distances from left to right and from wind to rear screen (over the ‘parcel shelf’) felt comparatively vast, almost like a lounge after the R8 and I felt less connected to the car and the environment as a result.
I was nervous I would find the same with the V10 Spyder but was delighted when I didn’t. There are several differences that to me explain this. First and most importantly, in the Spyder you lose the ‘parcel shelf’ behind the seats that gave it an airiness. It sounds like a small thing, but the interior in the Spyder felt intimate again. I think the roof line is slightly lower as well and the roof shape a bit tighter which may add to the sensation of being central and connected. Secondly, for me a few important options considerably elevate the cabin. Primarily the carbon ‘sigma’ interior details. I don’t buy into the trend of covering everything in carbon, but the few elements in this interior lift it above your average A4 and make it special. Another subtle but to me impactful option is the white/silver/titanium contrast stitching. It is one of those small things that I think makes a big impact.
Otherwise, I am happy with the interior. The seats aren’t as exciting and beautifully sculpted as some newer seats – but still look good to my eyes (thank you again to the contrast stitching) and are comfortable and supportive. The manual gated gear stick is of course famous and certainly a stand-out feature in both design as well as the mechanical tactility and engagement it delivers. The switch gear are all fine. Not beautiful or special, but solid, smart and add to the organic and mechanical feel. Surprisingly, the wiper/light/cruise stalks don’t feel as solid as the ones on the Z4M. Not that important but less impressive none the less.
I nearly forgot one of my favourite features of the car! The ability to drop the rear window. Meaning that even with the roof up you can be exposed to both the sound of the engine and exhaust – right behind your head, and the sounds and smells of the environment around you. It is brilliant.
The front luggage compartment is small. No doubt it would be better to have more space. I could take the Z4M away for weeks, which will be much harder in the R8. But when it’s a NA, manual V10 Spyder this to me becomes near irrelevant. I’ll make it work!
OWNERSHIP:
There’s no getting away from the costs. Being one of the last NA, manual V10 500+bhp cars for relatively moderate purchase and running costs, I consider it a relative bargain and reasonably ‘safe’/low depreciation risk expenditure. However, it was still a huge amount of money to spend in one go and I am aware (and ready) for the running costs. It is by far the most I have ever spent outside of a house and I had to take a huge brave pill to be able to do it, that took me a few weeks to swallow before I committed. To be frank, I am glad to have owned it for a week or two now as I am starting to get accustomed to the car and build some distance from the expenditure, and so can enjoy it rather than constantly worry about it.
Another major concern is the negative environmental impact of the car. I am very conscious of climate change and the negative human impact on nature (another love of mine). To keep things short – I have been learning about how to calculate and offset your carbon footprint (and broader environmental impact). There are websites that can estimate your carbon footprint and tell you where you can donate to in order to ‘offset’ it. Truthfully, I think we should just not do bad things. Rather than do something bad and then offset it. It makes me feel guilty. But this is a childhood dream, I have worked hard for it and I have had a really tough 18 months so I am letting myself enjoy this and planning to over-compensate to try and make a net-positive impact. If I can’t afford to do this, I shouldn’t have the car.
It is too early to comment on ownership otherwise. I am holding my breath and hoping for the best. The car has a full history with all in order and feels great.
If you read all of this – thank you. I hope you found it entertaining and/or insightful.
Pics:
.