Fairly pricey vs the Porsches but lots of standard equipment and more exclusive. Love the car!
Modified by sirAQUAMAN64 at 1:34 PM 3-28-2007
#1
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Audi of America, LLC announced today pricing for the all-new 2008 R8 sports car. The R8 with a six-speed manual transmission will have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $109,000 when it launches this fall in the United States. Models equipped with the six-speed R tronic automatic gearbox will start at $118,000.The R8 is the first mid-engine sports car Audi has ever produced. With a 420 hp V8 4.2L FSI engine and rear-biased quattro® all-wheel drive system, the R8 has the performance capabilities unlike any Audi before it. With a zero to 60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 187 mph, the R8 is the fastest Audi ever produced. The lightweight aluminum frame and body and 44:56 front-to-rear weight distribution give the R8 tremendous handling capabilities, with the balance expected of a mid-engine sports car.
Standard luxury features include Audi magnetic ride, automatic bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED taillights and LED engine compartment lighting. 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, power and heated leather/Alcantara sport seats, cruise control, Sirius® satellite radio, and nine-speaker audio system. An optional Convenience Package includes Audi parking system advanced with rearview camera, Audi hill hold assist, a six-disc CD changer, HomeLink®, Bluetooth® phone prep, auto dimming exterior mirrors, and a storage package.
Stand alone options on the R8 include a 12-speaker, 465-watt Bang & Olufsen® sound system, Alcantara headliner, Audi navigation plus, an upgraded Leather Package, and Enhanced Leather Package which includes a leather covered dash and interior trim pieces, metallic/pearl effect paint, carbon fiber sideblades, body color sideblades, and the previously mentioned R tronic automatic gearbox. These options allow R8 owners to personalize their sports car to make it an even more exclusive vehicle than it is right from the hand-assembly plant in Neckarsulm, Germany.
Audi’s history in America dates to 1969, when the brand was first introduced to the U.S. market. Today, a network of over 260 Audi dealers currently offers a line of premium vehicles that include the Audi A3 compact; the sporty A4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models; the high performance S4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models; the high-revving RS 4 sports sedan; the design-leading A6 sedan and Avant; the all-new Audi Q7 performance SUV; and the all-aluminum Audi A8; and the new V10-powered S6 and S8 performance sedans.
#2
Fairly pricey vs the Porsches but lots of standard equipment and more exclusive. Love the car!
Modified by sirAQUAMAN64 at 1:34 PM 3-28-2007
#3
Great info, George. I think that the base of $109k is very competitive.I'm betting the vast majority of buyers will customize the crap out of their R8s with the goodies.
#4
I talked to a buddy at Audi about this. We'd initially heard in the $90K+ range, and he said that was being considered, but that was for a much more base car.... no magnetic ride, 18-inch wheels, etc. The base car now comes with a lot more stuff.
#5
Pricier than expected... given the 415hp 911 GT3 is $106K and the 450hp Turbo is not much more at $122K.
#6
Quote, originally posted by QUATTR0 » Pricier than expected... given the 415hp 911 GT3 is $106K and the 450hp Turbo is not much more at $122K. But the R8 is more exclusive than either of those cars.
after spending the last two days driving the new TT and being around the R8 at audi sales training, nothing can touch the R8 in an all-around fashion. others may be faster or perform better, but NONE of its competitors can be comefortable on a daily basis like the R8 can and give you the true luxury.
2008 Audi A3 2.0T w/ EVOMS GT28RS Big Turbo kit / BSH / BBS / AST / B&B
Sales @ Audi North Scottsdale bmccauley@penskeautomotive.com
#7
And those are base prices for Porsche add...15 to 25k for options easy.
#8
More exclusive because its a new car yes, but Audi just doesn't have the brand cachet or prestige of Porsche to really compete in this rarified price range yet... case in point is the A8 line: The 7 and S outsell it 4:1. And not to mention the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and new Maserati Gran Turismo, which are also priced at ~$110K. Yes, the first year allotment may be sold out, but how will the R8 do in the long run? Will it be another NSX?
#9
Poor analogy with the NSX, and here's why: Acura let the car languish after launching it. Second of all, when it was launched, Acura was (and still is) completely unknown in the world of motorsport/performance/luxury. At the time Acura really was seen as the "expensive Honda".The difference with the R8 is that Audi is very well known in Motorsport, they are very well known for their performance vehicles (RS4, S8, S6, etc.) and more importantly, the R8 is new, exotic and different.
There is always the potential for sales to fall off of a cliff, but judging on the initial consumer interest in the car, coupled with the extensive media coverage and positive reviews I'm confident that the R8 will be a solid performer for Audi. More importantly, we already know that Audi will be putting full resources behind the product to continue its development and improvement. There are already rumblings of the V10 being introduced next year, along with a potential targa/drop top version, etc.
Remember - Audi is pulling from the Lamborghini, Quattro and Audi RS parts bin for this vehicle so they can afford to keep improving it. Acura didn't have such a heritage to draw from for the NSX and Honda never had a good idea of where to position and market the car. Audi does, and Audi intends to use this as a halo in North America.
Quote, originally posted by QUATTR0 » More exclusive because its a new car yes, but Audi just doesn't have the brand cachet or prestige of Porsche to really compete in this rarified price range yet... case in point is the A8 line: The 7 and S outsell it 4:1. And not to mention the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and new Maserati Gran Turismo, which are also priced at ~$110K. Yes, the first year allotment may be sold out, but how will the R8 do in the long run? Will it be another NSX?
#10
Honda completely unknown in the world of motorsport? Ever heard of F1?
#11
I'm referring to Audi's success in LeMans, for which they have recently been capitalizing upon very heavily.
#12
The NSX was marketed as a Honda everywhere in the world but here. And Honda has had a bit of motorsports experience.Another factor to consider is the fact that indirectly Porsche now controls Audi's future. Their majority stake in VW could radically alter the landscape in the upcoming years.
#13
Quote, originally posted by Travis Grundke » I'm referring to Audi's success in LeMans, for which they have recently been capitalizing upon very heavily. F1 audience >> Le Mans audience
Probably by a factor of 100x or more
#14
Dealer "market adjustment"?
#15
I've heard anywhere from 10-50k as a market adjustment by the dealers, if Audi really holds to 200/year for the US, they dealer may get this.
#16
You're correct: but Audi cannot capitalize upon F1 successes with marketable product like they can with, say, the LeMans series. From what I understand, the limits and requirements for F1 are much more restrictive. Audi can showcase more technology that might actually make it into cars with LeMans and leverage that publiciity (ie: TDI) than they could with F1.
Quote, originally posted by QUATTR0 » F1 audience >> Le Mans audience Probably by a factor of 100x or more
#17
I'm sure the dealers will be popping as much as they can on the adjustment to recoup the costs associated with tooling and preparation for the R8. And honestly, if they can get those additional premiums, more power to them. The Audi shops that get to sell the R8 will most likely be the better dealers out there.Still, I do not doubt Audi will be able to sell them all even with competition from Aston, Porche, Maserati, et al.
Quote, originally posted by floormat » I've heard anywhere from 10-50k as a market adjustment by the dealers
Quote, originally posted by floormat » I've heard anywhere from 10-50k as a market adjustment by the dealers
#18
Our dealership has nearly 10 firm deposits taking us into 2009. We're selling all of ours at MSRP with no mark-up to my knowledge.Some people around the country will flip their cars if they can make 15-25 grand as a profit. But I'm thinking a majority of people will keep their cars. People who have this much money to buy a car aren't worried about making money on them. They already have a ton. It's going to be a rare car for a long time and no doubt will have a very high resale value for years to come as a collector car.
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