s4play

iTrader: (2)

Next to my brother's car, the R8 looks so plain and stock

torxuvin

Sweet garage. Yeah, it looks stock but it's still a R8. Time to update your signature too.

LexFather

Keep the pics coming!

s4play

iTrader: (2)

Many people say to own a sports car is to drive it. If I used this as a factor in determining which set of keys to grab each time I want to go out for an errand or an excuse to drive the “long way” just to enjoy the car, it seems the winner is pretty clear cut.

S2000: (past 3 years I put roughly 1800 miles on her)

NSX: (past 3 years I put barely 900 miles)

R8: (past 3 months I put over 2000 miles) and I find myself giving excuses to drive the car even if it’s a short trip around town…

The reality of the situation is the R8 does everything so well it really can be a daily driver as long as you can live with the tiny cargo space and attention the car gets. This is not always a good thing if I’m in a hurry since even a short trip to Target or the Redbox kiosk becomes an adventure as you have to take time to talk to people who ask about the car.

Perhaps this is a reason why I told my wife I won’t be lowering this car to some ridiculous height or adding a crazy loud exhaust. In stock form the car has the perfect stance after I added some H/R spacers. I’m doing some interior upgrades only because the stock wheel and shifter is way too flimsy. I love the fact the car has the smart electronics to automatically disable the front airbag so my toddler can ride with me. This alone is a huge plus because I rarely travel anywhere without at least one kid in tow. This requirement renders the NSX and s2000 useless.

After some seat time one thing I realized is the R8’s seating position is pretty low which is not much of an issue for me until recently we took the car to Stanford for some open basketball. After 5 games both my legs started cramping so we decided to call it quits but I could not extend my left leg to drive the car so my brother had to drive home. A bit embarrassing since I guess I must be out of shape! The only other gripes I have is the car does not have BT Audio or even an AUX jack for my music but these are small quirks for an otherwise near perfect car. Amazingly I even average about 23 mpg on the highway, not bad for a v10 sports car!

We are planning a photoshoot soon so I hope to get some really good shots of the car by itself with the new interior CF goodies ASAP

Mod wise we did the exhaust valve bypass to give the car a more aggressive tone at lower RPM's and planning to add a front lip to protect the underside of the front bumper. Also added H/R 10mm and 15mm spacers to give a better stance.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Love it Rick

s4play

iTrader: (2)

So now I have a slight dilemma, given our current garage stable and the issues I've been having with my s4 DD's A/C compressor, I'm thinking it's time to let the s4 go and get back into a Lexus sedan.

Would you guys prefer a 2011+ IS-F or a LS460L?

After seeing LexFather's build, I'm thinking it may be time to move up to a larger car. Recently I had a A8 loaner and that car is absolutely amazing with the massage seats and comfortable ride quality!

It's funny I should be considering the IS-F again since I should have just kept my baby. After moving to a e90 m3, then s4 with all the small headaches, I'm thinking I want the reliability of a Lexus again.

What would you guys do? Perhaps Lexfather can chime in here

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Well you've had an F before Rick, you know about that. Good news there is the LS F-Sport now so that should help improve this big bruisers dynamics. A 5LS is due likely around 2 years from now. And there is a TTV6 and TTV8 in development likely to grace the IS, GS, LS, RC, SC around then too

dsadsauser

I see R8s on the autobahn often and let me tell you, they can pull hard on my SRT8 which is not easy from a roll. You have such a badass car. The exhaust at WOT sounds like a dream come true. Well done.

LexFather

Hey bud,

I recommend a LS F-sport or any big car that offers a nice OEM air suspension you can adjust. So I slam it parked, its dropped driving around and if the wife wants to drive it (hasn't happened yet) I put it in 4x4 mode. Massage seats are something Lexus needs in the states (I believe you can get it in Japan).

So far the extra room has been great, we have a Recaro like you (a larger child seat) and with two people in the rear there is more than enough room. The 18 cubic foot trunk comes in handy, the IS I think is 12 and oddly shaped. Mind you I LOVE the IS F but I didn't consider. The difference between driving the GS and LS with people and the kid is pretty staggering so the IS will be an even bigger difference. Not that you CANNOT do it, but I am convinced the larger size goes a long way.

I wish I had a R8 as a weekend car!

s4play

iTrader: (2)

Yea, this is the hardest part of the debate, we already had an IS-F and the main reasons we sold it was lack of trunk and rear seat space which has not changed. I need space more than ever now. My B6 S4 is much larger than the IS-F and I find it quite limiting hence the idea of a LS. I'm not looking for the fastest sedan since the family will be with me so a good mix of power and mpg efficiency would be appreciated.


thanks for the words ~ yes the R8 at WOT is one mean machine! Biggest problem is on open roads that enjoyment ends in a few seconds before you are doing 120+ triple digit speeds. You really can't get on the car for more than a second at a time so it really limits the fun factor. Audi did a great job with their dual stage valved exhaust. The roar from the V10 with the windows down puts a huge smile every time I drive it.


The more I see your LS, the more I love it - it's got the "exec' feeling I loved about my A8 loaner but it has the looks to match. The A8 exterior is not as clean as the LS IMO. I do have to admit the interior is near perfect though with the B&O stereo and massage ventilated seats. Even the vibrating steering wheel is something that at first made me laugh but as I got used to it, I found that I missed it right away when I went back to my other cars!

Either I must be getting older or my taste has changed since I now appreciate the big luxo sedan a lot more than in the past. If money was no object I would just pick up a Ibis White S8 but since $130k is a bit steep, I'm looking at other alternatives.

To be honest, I take much more enjoyment when I take my NSX out on the weekends. The R8 is a cool car but just doesn't feel as special. Hard to explain....I think the car that needs to go next is the s2000 - I've kept this car for many many years since I love the car but driving a car 1800 miles in 3 years really is silly. This is one car that has served it's purpose for many years (before kid era) and now it's time to let it go.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

always liked your old IS-F so what ever you purchase next won't disappoint

s4play

iTrader: (2)

thanks man, appreciate the support!


I know most people buy their exotics to go on racetracks or to their local drive events but for me, none of that is possible with my crazy schedule. So I end up using my car on weekends as an excuse to run errands or get out for short cross town trips. Past few weekends include grocery, Costco runs, dropping off packages at the local post office and taking my son/daughter to the park. I just wish the R8 was a 2+2 so I can take both kids out for equal seat time.

Irony is I ran into another IS-F owner locally and he was also talking about buying an R8

Snapped this the other day visiting a friend:

LexFather

Pics in here will never get old. Lovely ride!

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Rick sure does love his white cars!

s4play

iTrader: (2)

Did some upgrades on the inside to give it a more exotic feel....still needs work on the exterior but this will be good enough for now. Whatcha guys think, first shots I took of the interior which is an Audi Exclusive setup you don't normally see in the R8: