I almost tested both back-to-back in the past month and prefer the S-tronic. I entered the R8 world for the first time with an open mind and no preconceived notions. During my initial test drive, I observed the R-tronic to be quite jerky in Auto mode while driving normally and even a little sportily. It was a little better under sports. The transmission got you moving, and the car was really quick. While driving normally, the S-tronic was significantly smoother, and it was even better when you slammed on the gas. Under heavy load and downshifts, it furthermore made a distinctive sound. Additionally, the transmission was flawless, and it was quite quick.
Having done further research, I believe the R-tronic would be an excellent choice, but in order to properly appreciate it, you must heed the advice of the staff here. In the end, I chose the S-Tronic for two key reasons: the car’s diamond stitched full leather inside and the downshift sound in sport mode.
In This Article...
The Audi R8’s transmission, what is it?
The first significant upgrade to the supercar since its 2007 debut is the 2014 Audi R8. A range-topping V10 Plus variant, updated aesthetics, and a seven-speed dual-clutch sequential manual transmission are all included. The 2013 R8 won’t exist. Instead, until the 2014 model goes on sale in the US on March 20, 2013, Audi will continue to sell the 2012 model.
New bumpers and LED lights on the exterior set the redesigned R8 apart from earlier models. The rear turn signals use 30 LEDs to create a sweeping look. The leather seats in the cabin can now be ordered with a diamond-stitch design.
The new V10 Plus model, which sits at the top of the R8 line, weighs approximately 110 pounds less than the standard V10 model. This weight reduction is primarily attributable to the use of more carbon fiber, forged aluminum wheels, carbon brakes, aluminum suspension wishbones, and a conventional suspension in place of the magnetic damping system. A final 25 horsepower from the 5.2-liter V10 brings the output to 550 horsepower.
Sport bucket seats are available on European versions, and while they are quite supportive and pleasant for tiny passengers, they can be a little narrow for larger people. Because they lack side airbags, they won’t travel to the United States, which is regrettable.
In keeping with the V10 Plus’s commitment to pure performance, it is exclusively offered as a coupe. I apologize, Spyder fans.
The introduction of the new seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic sequential manual transmission, which replaces the previous single-clutch R-tronic unit, is the biggest news. Unlike the R-tronic, which required sequential engagement of each gear for quicker shifts, the internally developed gearbox is brand-new and has the ability to skip gears. The gated six-speed manual transmission is still an option on all three R8 modelsthe V8, V10, and V10 Pluswhich will please driving purists.
In Italy at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, we performed our first dance with the 2014 R8. Although the motorcycle track is full of sharp curves, there are a few straightaways where we could stretch the legs of the S-tronic-equipped V10 Plus. As we accelerated out of the pit lane, the V10’s roar bounced off the metal guard rails, creating pure song. We really enjoyed the seamless and quick gear upshifts as we approached the first bend. With solid pedal feedback, the standard carbon ceramic brakes effectively reduced the speed prior to corners. Weighty, communicative, and receptive to inputs is steering.
The R8’s tendency to understeer was made clear by the tight turns, where the front 19-inch Pirelli Pzero Corsa tires struggled to turn the vehicle. The R8’s rear did become a touch unsteady when applying severe braking, which was our other minor issue.
We spent two days testing various 2014 R8 variations, all of which were equipped with the dual-clutch gearbox, to get some real-world driving experience. With Sport mode engaged, the gearbox executed seamless upshifts quickly in every vehicle. Even amid rash driving, downshifts were crisp. However, there is no denying that the S-tronic is excellent. In the hierarchy of dual-clutch transmissions, we would place Ferrari’s and probably the Nissan GT-R unit above the Audi unit.
The R8 is the ideal daily supercar, as we discovered with our long-term test car from a few years ago. The cabin is adequately isolated from road and wind noises when idling and is comfortable with the magnetic suspension relaxed.
Although the roads we traveled on were of the well-maintained European sort, we found the V10 Plus’ standard suspension to be very compliant for everyday driving. When we get time with one in the United States, we’ll have to wait and see how it handles damaged pavement.
The tunnels, where both the V8 and V10 could roar their beautiful sounds, were another pleasure of our trip.
The R8 is perfect for you if you want to stand out from the crowd of Porsche 911 owners and intend to use your supercar every day. According to Audi, two sets of golf clubs may fit behind the coupe’s seats, while the front trunk has a fair amount of space for cargo. There is no disputing that the R8 offers respectable kick with the V8 and tons of performance with the V10.
For those who dislike operating clutch pedals, the S-tronic dual-clutch transmission is now genuinely tempting. Many people were put off by the R-shoddy tronic’s operation. The S-tronic significantly improves on earlier errors.
The R8’s design attracts attention if you like it, whether it’s from children at petrol stations who point and smile happily or from mature men driving down the freeway taking a few pictures on their smartphones. The R8 is distinctive, as a supercar ought to be.
Yes, there are solutions available that might feel more incisive while driving. However, no other supercar performs as well on as many fronts as the Audi R8.
Which year of Audi R8 is the most dependable?
Quality and consistency are the watchwords when it comes to Audi. In contrast to other automakers who spend a few years to iron out the flaws in a design, Audi is one of the few automakers that manages to produce high-quality releases straight out of the gate.
One of Audi’s most popular models, the R8 also comes in a supercar variant that is a great choice if you’re searching for a high-performance car.
However, if you want something that will last and live up to your highest expectations, keep an eye out for the Audi R8 years to avoid.
The Audi R8 will be examined in more detail, along with its typical issues, dependable models (and why certain variants work so well), and other topics.
Audi R8 Years You Should Avoid
There aren’t any particular years you should stay away from when it comes to the R8. The R8 has a reputation for being one of the most reliable models ever, thus even the first few years of the new model’s existence saw strong performance and positive customer feedback.
However, there is one year that we recommend avoiding if at all possible. This release has a few extra problems, making it the only year of the Audi R8 to stay away from. In fact, this may be the only Audi R8 year to avoid, barring exceedingly uncommon issues with the model that we’ll describe in the next section:
2008
Yes, the only year we’d advise you to steer clear of is the one the R8 first on the market. Even the 2018 model, which underwent a supercar transformation, displayed remarkable consistency and toughness.
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Common Problems With The Audi R8
Even if the Audi R8 performs admirably in almost all parameters, there are still a few unusual issues that consistently appear. Along with a few other typical vehicle issues that affect the majority of cars, suffers from these issues roughly equally rarely each year.
Bearing Failures
Because of the high speeds that R8s can attain, bearing failures are among the most catastrophic issues that might arise. It is possible for other types of parts to fail in a variety of ways very fast when a bearing is beginning to wear out and starts to create friction rather than reducing it.
That alone is a serious issue. Additionally, replacing bearings can be a labor-intensive process, which increases the cost of the repairs; alternatively, your mechanic may advise replacing the entire item rather than just the internal bearings.
Fortunately, this problem is also exceedingly uncommon, so the majority of Audi R8 owners won’t ever need to be concerned about premature bearing failure.
Wishbone Failure
Another significant issue that is reported to affect some R8 cars is wishbone failure. In this case, a portion of the suspension that aids in weight distribution, momentum management, and maintaining vehicle coordination has failed.
However, wishbone problems can range from simple suspension issues to the wishbone itself actually shattering and becoming unstable. The computer itself may malfunction and fail to sync properly.
Very few Audi R8 owners will need to be concerned about wishbone failure because it is an extremely rare problem, similar to the bearing issue with the Audi R8. However, depending on the type of failure and the timing of the failure, wishbone failure can be serious, difficult to repair, and even hazardous.
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Ignition Coil Failure
One of the less serious problems that Audi R8s can experience is ignition coil failure. Even though it happens more frequently than the other two issues we’ve mentioned, premature ignition coil failure in your Audi R8 is still uncommon.
Your engine may misfire or sputter when starting up or accelerating if your ignition coil fails. The ignition coil is also among the simplest common issues with Audi R8s to fix, despite this. A defective or damaged ignition coil is simple to swap out, and this usually addresses the issues right immediately.
Other engine parts may occasionally be harmed by ignition coil failure, however this usually happens when the ignition coil isn’t fixed right away.
Reliable Audi R8 Model Years
What about the remaining Audi R8 models? We’ve already discussed the Audi R8 model years to stay away from. Since this car has such high scores from both professional reviewers and consumers, there aren’t any R8 models that are genuinely known for being unreliable.
The fact that Audi doesn’t make many modifications between model years contributes to some of that stability. Audi only makes minor surface and feature changes from year to year because the engineering and parts are sound and function well together.
That’s advantageous because it contributes significantly to the abundance of dependable Audi R8 models. These dependable model years are as follows:
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
There are a few factors to consider regarding the R8’s string of dependable years. Due to the R8’s conservative attitude to changes, neither the incidence of problems nor the number of trouble years are very high.
Fortunately, it also implies that any new Audi R8 vehicles that are introduced will probably be just as reliable, strong, and powerful as earlier generations.
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Which Audi R8 Models Are Good Used Vehicles?
There aren’t any really subpar Audi R8 cars available right now if you’re thinking about buying one. If you’re searching for an older vehicle that is still a terrific value even used, the 2008 model is still going strong. There are a few minor upgrades in more recent models, but there aren’t many significant structural differences between previous and newer models of the R8.
That also implies that if you’re searching for a more efficient vehicle, you don’t necessarily need to attempt to acquire the newest releases. Even vintage Audi R8s continue to deliver outstanding performance, fuel economy, and other attributes of a high-performance car.
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What differentiates R tronic from S tronic?
Tiptronic is a true automatic transmission, whereas R-tronic is a single-clutch automated manual transmission. (Consider BMW SMG.) The dual-clutch transmission formerly known as DSG is now called S-tronic. Agreed.
R-tronic transmission: what is it?
The 6-speed Audi R tronic Transmission is an automated manual transmission that can be manually adjusted using the shift paddles positioned on the steering wheel or a specially designed joystick. With a double-plate clutch, the transmission can change gears more swiftly than even a skilled driver, and activating sport settings accelerates gear changes even more. The R tronic offers the comfort of an automatic transmission along with the effectiveness, performance, and fuel economy of a conventional manual transmission.
What does an Audi R8’s S tronic do?
The brand-new transmission, called S tronic, debuted with the 2014 model year. The year R tronic was 20082012. Ascari Blue/Black Diamond Seats on the 2020 R8 V10 Performance Spyder. 2011 Audi R8 V10 Spyder 6MT – Ibis White/Red – Previous Rides Sold!