Honest opinions requested re: car swap

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

Is the GT rwd? Assuming it was

It’s awd

[JST]

One funny thing is that there was a time when I actually owned the thirdpedal.com domain; I bought it for something that I never ended up doing anything with.

Anyway, they seem to have figured the process out and have it down. I’d be curious to see some examples of their cars selling to see what it does to value, but that answers a big Q right there.

[lemming]

There’s a lot of other cars I would consider for $135,000.

This car, which is 12 years old and 36,000 miles? With the level of “engineering” that Audi put into the R8, which means engine out to fix the AC —do you trust it? I do not.

Except for that rear spoiler, I think it’s a gorgeous car. The V10 sounds cool enough (my friend has the Hurricane Performante). But I think from an engineering point of the view, the v10 is weird. I think the “bespoke” conversion is weird.

I know. I’m always skeptical, but the adage is always get the newest car you can. And for German cars, it’s even more true. I think Audi R8s make BMW V10 M6’s look reliable.

[FC]

I get the allure of the sound and the looks and scarcity, but I'll echo the comments on the conversion and the general unreliability.

two other points, for a low mileage car, there have been an awful lot of adjustments, repairs, replacements, etc. That may speak to the level of quality testing Audi put into this car.

I mean, from the first post:

Cowl/firewall panel resealed
Console replaced
ECM reprogrammed
Front door trim panel replaced/repaired
Switch replaced/repaired
Fuel filler door adjusted
Fender liner adjusted/secured
Transmission range switch replaced

All the above in less than 4 years and 15k miles. I mean, damn. I had the M3 for 4 years and ~13k miles and nothing was ever touched. Not a thing.

[SCA]

As soon as I read, “manual conversion” I instantly thought, nope… The other deterrent for me would be that it is a 12-year-old model year vehicle. Isn’t your 991.2 a 2017 and a CPO?

Short answer, Hard Pass… keep the 991.

[Josh (PA)]

Thanks everyone. This was the reality kick in the ass I was hoping to get. I had been looking at used v8 R8s for the last couple of weeks, but non of them had appealing color combos or moved the needle over my car. This one popped up and had so many interesting elements that I was really considering it.

@Alan, I actually went back and re-read our PM from 2020 when I got the 911 prior to considering this. It definitely kept things in perspective. I appreciate you reiterating your preference re: 911 driving dynamics. That's the one big perceived plus to the R8 that I may be giving it too much credit for

@Lemming - re: a lot of other cars for $135k - my 'requirements' of a convertible and a 3 pedal manual limit that pool substantially. Other than a boxster spyder/GTS, i don't know of anything else that fits the bill. What other cars would you consider?

@FC - my thought exactly regarding the maintenance records. There is some really weird 'repairs' in there - the one that gave me most pause was the engine oil pump. If that had issues before replacement, i can't imaginge it would bode well for the long term viability of the engine. I also found it odd the owner did the manual swap in September then almost immediately listed it for sale.

@SCA - my 991 is a 2017, but not CPO'ed - when I bought it I still had 2 years of new car warranty left. I considered buying the Fidelity warranty when I purcahsed it, but never went forward with it.

Surprisingly, I showed my 18yr old son last night, thinking he'd have all sorts of teen exuberance for the Audi and his comment was "I like the Porsche more." Wife gave me a bit of a stink eye as well, so it seems like a decision has been made.

[SCA]

Originally Posted by Josh (PA)

Surprisingly, I showed my 18yr old son last night, thinking he'd have all sorts of teen exuberance for the Audi and his comment was "I like the Porsche more." Wife gave me a bit of a stink eye as well, so it seems like a decision has been made.

Good! I think you are dodging a bullet.

[lemming]

IMHO, in this price range, for a manual convertible, I would opt for a 2020 or 2021 CPO Carrera S convertible. The 992 S models are sooooo fast. You never want for power. And for total ownership experience, Porsche for the win.