Slummed it in the Audi R8 again this weekend. Had to drive to Monterey to see what all the rich people were doing in Pebble Beach. Apparently all that news of a recession hasn't hit the upper classes as there were more new Ferrari's, Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces than I could count.
That said, I didn't see another R8 once. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, maybe there was a Deutsches Autoerscheinen that I missed, who knows, but the R8's rarity cemented its status as the ultimate anti-Ferrari. People waved, smiled and otherwise seemed to enjoy seeing something other than a bright red F430 with shiny tires. The fact that I left our long-termer covered in bugs and brake dust only added to the effect.
Took the long way home and the R8 was as entertaining as ever. I've figured out that it's more fun to drive with the dampers set to their normal mode as the Sport setting makes the car too jittery and nervous through tight corners. As far as wear goes, the only sign of anything wrong was an occasional buzz from somewhere near the headlight switch, not bad considering that it clicked over 18,000 miles on the way home.
And for those who care, the picture taken at the general store was in Big Sur. I thought I was driving the world's dirtiest German sportscar until some guy pulled in with that mud-covered Cayman S. I also stopped and took a shot along the coast a little further south before turning inland. I'm not saying where the shot with the rolling hills was taken as I don't want anybody clogging up one of my favorite backroads. Feel free to guess, I'll confirm a right answer.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 18,010 miles
platf1 says:
02:09 PM, 08/18/08
You should have asked the Cayman driver where HIS favorite roads are. That looks like he rally-drifts to work.
arm51 says:
02:09 PM, 08/18/08
Its nice to see that there are people who actually use their sports cars instead of keeping them in a garage somewhere. Speaking of favorite backroads, has Edmunds ever done a piece on good driving roads around the country? Anyways, the R8 looks awesome, especially in the first pic!
Josh Jacquot says:
02:33 PM, 08/18/08
Indian Valley Road.
the_big_al says:
04:28 PM, 08/18/08
I love seeing dirty sports cars - or any "expensive car" dirty. It means it actually gets used and maybe even a little abused. That's a good thing. Means they are being used like they are supposed to.
clarkma5 says:
04:57 PM, 08/18/08
I saw three R8s on I-5 traveling southbound from San Jose to LA this weekend. All three were gray like yours.
casualobserver says:
05:54 PM, 08/18/08
clarkma5 - I was driving a phantom grey with carbon fiber sideblades on the I-5 south from Sacramento to the 205 late Sunday afternoon - is that one of the ones you saw?
James Riswick says:
06:39 AM, 08/19/08
"I've figured out that it's more fun to drive with the dampers set to their normal mode as the Sport setting makes the car too jittery and nervous through tight corners."
I'm in complete agreement on this point. On my Topanga Canyon (aka Katy Perry) run, I also noticed how jittery and weird the R8 felt in the firmer mode. With Porsche's PASM on its firmer setting, this doesn't happen. This is a big reason why I preferred the 911 -- it just feels more natural.