Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

Racebred;277339 said:
the auto gear mode is a problem for ANY car using a clutch pedaless manual. You cannot determine when to lift off, and sports mode is actually more comfortable. Try going on long journeys like on the NSH, on auto, sports mode off, and you're going to give everyone a royal seasick headache. bottomline is that the computer can never replace a human brain
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totally
I personally had NEVER driven in auto mode of SMGII system more than 2 minutes during 3.5yrs of car ownership. That's how bad this type of gb is. Same thing goes to Cambiocorsa, Ferrari F1, Lambo E-gear...all junks at auto mode.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

TripleM;277809 said:
totally
I personally had NEVER driven in auto mode of SMGII system more than 2 minutes during 3.5yrs of can ownership. That's how bad this type of gb is. Same thing goes to Cambiocorsa, Ferrari F1, Lambo E-gear...all junks at auto mode.
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So the auto mode on robotized manuals are like `demo mode' on all those electronic keyboards, or for the 1% of the time which the Auto-trans-only wife takes the car, huh?

One thing is, in my slush auto cars, I have used SPORTS MANUAL mode on them only about 5 minutes in the life of each car. Always normal mode. The Auto trans does a better job than me in shifting in an auto trans, and the shifts are so slow, that's why.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

Seems that the consensus is, at least among the posters on this thread, that automated manual gearboxes are not much good in auto mode. And that the manual mode in auto gearboxes is pretty ordinary as well.

Well, it's a relief to hear that. I used to think there was something wrong with me because some motoring writers would rave about the superb shifting qualities of SMG and DSG, whereas I preferred either a proper manual or a true auto. Buy an auto for the wife and a proper manual for your pride and joy. That's exactly what I've done with my cars.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

PerverTT;277847 said:
Seems that the consensus is, at least among the posters on this thread, that automated manual gearboxes are not much good in auto mode. And that the manual mode in auto gearboxes is pretty ordinary as well.

Well, it's a relief to hear that. I used to think there was something wrong with me because some motoring writers would rave about the superb shifting qualities of SMG and DSG, whereas I preferred either a proper manual or a true auto. Buy an auto for the wife and a proper manual for your pride and joy. That's exactly what I've done with my cars.
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Thats being true to passion. Satisy your wife and Satisfy your joy. Same route i plan to take as well once its 'time'. :lol2:
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

PerverTT;277847 said:
Seems that the consensus is, at least among the posters on this thread, that automated manual gearboxes are not much good in auto mode. And that the manual mode in auto gearboxes is pretty ordinary as well.

Well, it's a relief to hear that. I used to think there was something wrong with me because some motoring writers would rave about the superb shifting qualities of SMG and DSG, whereas I preferred either a proper manual or a true auto. Buy an auto for the wife and a proper manual for your pride and joy. That's exactly what I've done with my cars.
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the motoring hacks are either confused or biased, or they really got giddy headed driving Ferraris and Masers. The truth came out when the Maserati Quattroporte implemented the ZF torque converter true automatic and immediately got great praises far greater than it ever got.

The R8 drive I had was totally compromised by the S-tronic robotized manual. I hope to test drive a manual soon ... try to call a few people.

the funny thing is that people would ACTUALLY pay for SMG - funny to me anyway. The DSG is a different thing. It is `almost' perfect in auto. If I wanted speed above all else I'd take a DSG. Because you don't have to lift off, and have almost continuous power, most of the time anyway. And best of all we could adjust the driving line using left foot braking, and almost never make mistakes on track by mis-shifting.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

the funny thing is that people would ACTUALLY pay for SMG - funny to me anyway.
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The same though occurred to me as well. In looking at some of the many used E46 M3s now entering the second hand market in Oz, I'm struck by the predominance of SMG equipped cars. At least 70% of the cars have SMG. And as you said, their owners actually pay for a feature I would never want. BMW sales people must be damn convincing folk.

I recently spoke to the owner of a DSG equipped TT about his experience with the car. He admitted that he had managed to adapt to the new box, but would drop it in favour of a proper manual if he had the chance to order his car again.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

Don't think it's the sales people being good but naive people using magazine 0-100 km/h figures as a (flawed) benchmark for measuring performance.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

PerverTT;277847 said:
Seems that the consensus is, at least among the posters on this thread, that automated manual gearboxes are not much good in auto mode. And that the manual mode in auto gearboxes is pretty ordinary as well.

Well, it's a relief to hear that. I used to think there was something wrong with me because some motoring writers would rave about the superb shifting qualities of SMG and DSG, whereas I preferred either a proper manual or a true auto. Buy an auto for the wife and a proper manual for your pride and joy. That's exactly what I've done with my cars.
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The manual mode in robotized gb is not ordinary...
What motoring reviews rave bout the super shifting qualities of SMG n DSG are not untrue. The truth is , they are fast and easy.

If u take SMGII for example...being a single clutch robotized manual gb with paddleshifters. It can shift at 60mili seconds in S6 mode. If u dont think that's fast or somewhat more ordinary seen on street cars, I dunno wot is called extraordinary already.

DSG is even faster tho lacks the punch and grunt. Hence it's called smooth n fast shift.

FYG, the new F Scud shifts at 60ms too and that's F's technology today on street car and the SMGII is already a 5yr old tech found on E46M3.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

the funny thing is that people would ACTUALLY pay for SMG - funny to me anyway. The DSG is a different thing. It is `almost' perfect in auto. If I wanted speed above all else I'd take a DSG. Because you don't have to lift off, and have almost continuous power, most of the time anyway. And best of all we could adjust the driving line using left foot braking, and almost never make mistakes on track by mis-shifting.
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U might hv got it wrong here my friend. People pay for SMG because of the manual shifting capabilities in mind, not the auto mode that it can do. Else, those who dont want SMG because of the lack of purist feel, they would certainly opt for stick shift.

I have never heard or read in any M3 forum of the US that said they wouldnt pay for SMG coz of the lousy auto mode. Rather it's the decision between the ease n speed of paddleshifting vs Manual.

And yah, my OC could only drive in the A5 of the SMGII...she couldnt be bothered to try out the manual mode and I never encouraged her either haha.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

So what's the conclusion of the test-drive? I want to hear about decision and committment. Buy the manual version of R8 over any 911 or Cayman?
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

titanic;299395 said:
So what's the conclusion of the test-drive? I want to hear about decision and committment. Buy the manual version of R8 over any 911 or Cayman?
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conclusion - it's one of the greatest cars but not for me. After thinking about it some more, even if it were manual, even if limitless budget, I'd rather plonk on a car with more feedback aurally and better weighted controls, with similarly cheap maintenance.

my top 5 pick list:
cayman 2.7/3.4 6-sp manual
m3 6-sp manual
evoX 5-sp manual (LOL!)
r8 6-sp manual (not driven yet)
nissan gt-r 7-sp DSG (not driven yet)
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

since the thread has been revived, is it true that the media car has been totaled by a car journalist?
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

centurion;299427 said:
conclusion - it's one of the greatest cars but not for me. After thinking about it some more, even if it were manual, even if limitless budget, I'd rather plonk on a car with more feedback aurally and better weighted controls, with similarly cheap maintenance.

my top 5 pick list:
cayman 2.7/3.4 6-sp manual
m3 6-sp manual
evoX 5-sp manual (LOL!)
r8 6-sp manual (not driven yet)
nissan gt-r 7-sp DSG (not driven yet)
Click to expand...

Thank you for your high conviction conclusion.
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

louis;299449 said:
since the thread has been revived, is it true that the media car has been totaled by a car journalist?
Click to expand...
:yikess::yikess:
 
Re: Audi R8 first impressions - test drive

louis;299449 said:
since the thread has been revived, is it true that the media car has been totaled by a car journalist?
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Jacky;302084 said:
yes apparently.
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OMG .... who is that wonderful journalist? :yikess: ... And i thought my drive was bad :whythis:
 
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