Manual or R-Tronic?

[KresoF1]

YES, that is the question.
First R8 drive impression was done by Georg Kacher for German Auto Bild, British Car and Automobile mag. He praised manual version very much. According to my friend who works at Audi around 70% of all R8 are ordered as R-Tronic, but he said to me if I plan to keep the car for longer period of time to go for manual version.
So, your opinions and views please...

[Erik]

I would go for the R-tronic I think. Man-machine interface :=)

[Leadfoot]

If it's a sunday drive/trck toy, I would go for the manual, but if it was my daily drive than I would go for R-Tronic.

If you look at the value difference between a second-hand 360 and one with F1 transmission than the R-Tronic will hold it's value.

[AndyBG]

Manual..., for me

[tazsura]

Manual for me to. Gearbox in RS4 is superb. Also, R8 has open gate a-la Ferrari - click clack, click clack all the way home...Music to my ears

[RXBG]

manual. buy the gearbox you intend to drive not the gearbox you intend to add resale value with.

i've driven daily with a manual in washington, dc traffic and orlando traffic and i've never had a problem............. shifting yourself is also kinda sexy dontcha think?

[RXBG]

i also remember pulling up next to an F430 convert at a red light once. he had his date with him. i asked him to rev it up so i could hear the lovely engine. he had to fumble around with a bunch of steering wheel buttons and other buttons on the dash (it seemd like he was preparing for a shuttle launch) in order for him to put it in neutral just to rev it a bit. he tried to pretend not to be confused but he was. his date seemed kind of embarrassed.

and it was his car b/c i've seen him in it various times.

[AndyBG]

i also remember pulling up next to an F430 convert at a red light once. he had his date with him. i asked him to rev it up so i could hear the lovely engine. he had to fumble around with a bunch of steering wheel buttons and other buttons on the dash (it seemd like he was preparing for a shuttle launch) in order for him to put it in neutral just to rev it a bit. he tried to pretend not to be confused but he was. his date seemed kind of embarrassed.

and it was his car b/c i've seen him in it various times.

i CAN JUST IMAGINE HOW THAT GUY FELT!

[KresoF1]

Well, It is decision time! I am going for the manual. Why? Hmm... After driving F430F1, Gallardo e-gear and M6 for test drives I convinced myself that I do not need roboted gearbox. Yes, e-gear(very close R-Tronic relative!) is doing some things very nicelly. Specially when you drive fast on empty road, but it is not so good or smooth in down town driving. To get very fast and smooth upshifts you need to loose gas pedal for 1cm or so. Otherwise gearchange is pretty hard(and fast!). In Sport mode driving smoothly threw the town is almost not possible.

So, this is my(almost?) final decision since my dealer told me that he can change the order from manual to R-Tronic only till end of January 2007.
Also, some info regarding Bucket seats and Ceramic Brakes. Bucket will be available for Europe only(NO sidebags, bad for USA regulations) from May 2007. Ceramics will be worldwide option, but price will be pretty big(intro late May/June 2007)...

[Fab]

very tuff one. Based on the fact that if I buy one I keep my beast I would go for the R-tronic

[KresoF1]

BTW, here is pretty good price list from UK:

http://www.audi.co.uk/etc/medialib/c....0003.File.pdf

[nene]

Manual for me.